Internecine
by Forbidden Amber
Summary: After a hasty escape from Irenicus' dungeon, the Bhaalspawn finds herself in unknown territory. As she desperately tries to navigate through the perilous depths of Athkatla, she must also try her hardest to quell the constant chaos in her unlikely group.
1. Beginnings

**Author's note: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading my humble little tale here… I'm glad it caught your attention!**

**I just wanted to say that I've tried to focus on the character's social interactions with each other more in this story, so please let me know how I've done in a review! That said, I also wanted to inform my readers that there WILL be romancing between party members later on in the chapters (hopefully not too long from now) and it WILL be MUCH more interesting than the flat boring romance they have in the game. I love creating turmoil between characters, and I love jealousy, so keep an eye out for such pursuits later… I've got a whole romancing plan laid out in my head, hehe…**

**Tired of the chitchat? Me too. On with the story!**

The Dream 

Pain was all she could feel as she opened her eyes. Searing pain, aches, burns, and malevolent stones that bludgeoned her heart as a butcher hammers upon fresh meat. It was nearly unbearable, and she tried to scream but found that she had no voice within her throat. _Was she dreaming again? _Through her stunted vision she managed to see that she was in a dark room, and her excellent night vision instantly illuminated the dark abyss that formed before her eyes.

Caged. She was caged into a miniscule prison of cold metal bars, and beyond her walls was naught more than further darkness. She forced herself to stand; using the bars for stability as she foisted her poorly clothed self onto her feet. Her head felt light and dizziness made her body sway, though she suddenly snapped into awareness as a deep male voice startled her.

"So, the child of Bhaal has awoken."

Her head whirled to face the direction of the voice, her eyes piercing the shadows that engulfed the figure of this strange man. A bulky, well-muscled outline stood in front of her cage, looking down upon her with his arms folded across his chest. Though her vision was still quite fuzzy, there was something about his eyes that glowed evilly through the shadows, and she could see them clear as day.

The young woman squinted at him through her elven eyes, still quite confused about where she was. Her memory seemed to have been wiped away; like her entire life was nothing but a vague silhouette of a forgotten dream. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. It was clear that she had been magically Silenced.

"It is time for more… experiments," the man said darkly.

_No!_ The man began uttering some kind of evocation under his breath, though the prisoner could not discern any magical words that she recognized. A tiny globe of light appeared and hovered before him under the shelter of his cradling hands. It grew steadily as he spoke his magic, pulsing and scintillating under the fuel of this mage's obvious expertise. Without a moment's notice, the man suddenly shoved orb of raw power towards his prisoner. Once free from the refuge of the wizard's hands, it exploded into great ball of red fire, which then continued to collide head-on with the helpless disoriented elf.

She tried to scream, but alas, her voice was still impaired and would not allow her to do so. She simply had to take the blow in silence, though her face clearly expressed the pain that her voice would have cried.

The fireball smashed into her body in a cloud of flame and smoke, though, like most magical fires, did not cause her clothes to catch aflame. Instead, it scorched her skin and burned her eyes, and the smoldering molten remains of the ball fell in a rainstorm of ash onto the metal floor of her cage. Her knees buckled and she fell once again, bearing her pain with nothing but clenched teeth and a grimace.

She much have been dreaming again. She must have. All she needed to do was wake up…

"Interesting. You have much untapped power," she heard her captor say calmly.

She pulled herself onto her feet once again, anger now seizing hold of her chest. She searched her brain for some of her own magic to retaliate, but she was so exhausted her mind could not even comprehend the idea.

"Do you even realize your potential?"

The prisoner's ears detected new footsteps. Big, heavy ones coming from the passage behind where her captor was currently standing. It sounded almost as if these new footsteps belonged to a man made of rock. A golem, perhaps? The elf craned her neck to look down the hall, but at that moment, her captor began throwing several more hostile spells into her cell.

Dozens of white, palm-sized orbs of lightning flew towards her body, sizzling with energy and heat. They pelted her like rocks, both shocking her and crushing her with the force they delivered together. She tried to shield herself with her arms, but they soon knocked her off her feet and she teetered backwards, hitting her head with a solid thump against the back bars of her cage. She fell limp into the ashy ground like a puppet with no strings. The prisoner had been knocked unconscious once again.

The mysterious man peered over her body nonchalantly, and huffed, frustrated. "It seems my Godchild has passed out again," he muttered to himself. "How disappointing. Just when I was beginning to have fun."

The owner of the thundering footsteps emerged from the shadows of the preceding hallway, and revealed himself to indeed be stone golem, just as the elf prisoner had suspected. The construct looked to be a giant composed of rock, boulders, and dirt, and it towered above the ground at a menacing nine feet height. It walked in a machinelike fashion as it approached its master, each stride the exact same length as the previous one, and its head always staring directly ahead. The man turned to face it inquisitively.

"More intruders have entered the complex, Master," the golem said, its deep voice mechanical and emotionless.

"They act sooner than we anticipated," the master replied, for the first time showing a slight amount of concern in his voice. "No matter; they will only prove a slight delay."

He then dismissed the golem and it turned back the way it came, expressionless and unresponsive as always. "Worry not, my young Godchild… there will be more time for you later." He muttered a few more words, accessing his expansive repertoire of magic, and was almost immediately whisked away in a flash of purple light; teleported off to another demanding task that called his attention.

"No… No! Stop… not… not again!" Kanara Erion screamed as she thrashed violently about on her bare sleeping mattress. Her bedcovers had long since been kicked off of her body because of her jerking, and now lay in a crumpled pile at the foot of her bed. Her pillow was obscured and almost falling off the bed's edge, and Kanara's wavy golden hair was tangled and matted like a rat's nest.

In moments, Jaheira had sprung up from her bed on the opposite wall and was shaking her elven friend from her night terror, perhaps a little more forcefully than she might have intended. Kanara's sapphire eyes opened wide from fear and she immediately sat bolt upright, startled from both her vivid dream and the sudden fierce shaking she was receiving from the druid.

"Where… where am I?" Kanara blurted out wildly, scouring the candlelit room over like a hawk.

"Kanara, calm yourself," Jaheira commanded, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. Aerie had now been roused from her sleep from all the commotion and joined the scene, her brow creased in concern.

"You are in the Mithrest Inn, Kanara," Jaheira explained. "We are in Athkatla. We arrived here yesterday."

Kanara's heavy breathing slowed and she leaned against the headboard of her bed. "I… must have…" she trailed off, now remembering the party's hasty escape from the wizard, Jon Irenicus' dungeon the previous day. "I just got a little confused, it seems."

"It's alright now," Jaheira soothed. "We're safe here. Minsc and Yoshimo are in the next room over."

Kanara closed her eyes. "I… had a nightmare. I'm sorry; did I wake the two of you?" she asked.

"I-I think you just awoke the entire inn with that screaming of yours," Aerie hesitantly interjected. "Almost sounded like you were being t-tortured."

Kanara rubbed her eyes tiredly, choosing not to inform the young Aerie of how correct she was. Aerie had only just become an addition to the party the previous day, and there was no use in worrying her about Kanara's past so early into their adventure. Aerie was fragile, and it would take time to harden her for the tasks ahead. They had to be careful not to rush things.

"There's no need to apologize, Kanara," Jaheira said. "We know you've had quite a painful experience these last few weeks. I'm not surprised it has left some… unseemly images in your head."

Kanara raised a brow slightly, eyeing Jaheira suspiciously. How did she know what she had been dreaming about? But, she supposed it was not strange for one to assume that's what her nightmare was composed of. Like Jaheira had said, she had had a remarkably agonizing few weeks. The elf discarded her suspicions.

"You may think an apology is not due, but I feel I must deliver one regardless," Kanara said. "Your sleep has been needlessly interrupted because of my foolish overactive imagination. I sincerely apologize and hope that it will not happen again."

"Oh, Kanara, you are much too formal," Aerie said with a giggle. "But, if it will quell your restless mind, I accept your apology."

"As do I," Jaheira repeated. "Now let us return to bed. Adventure does not coalesce well with a tired mind or body. We must sleep."

Kanara nodded with a smile. They turned around and retreated back to their beds, and Kanara reached down to where her bedcovers were crumpled and pulled them over her body. Jaheira snuffed out the candle on her nightstand and the room fell dark as the gloom brooding outside of the window. The shadows significantly calmed Kanara's still buzzing head, and it didn't take long before the peace of sleep took her body. The rest of their first night in Athkatla was uneventful.

That morning was the first serene awakening Kanara had experienced in weeks due to her underground imprisonment. Instead of being roused by the clanking of chains or the pain of torture, the elf was calmly stirred from her rest by golden rays of sunlight that beckoned her mind to wake and her body to arise. She felt surprisingly refreshed despite the occurrence of her dramatic nightmare, and almost immediately jumped out of her bed to enjoy the unique contentment the morning had to offer. Kanara had always been one to take pleasure in the morning hours; even when she was just a child in Candlekeep she could almost always be found awake at touch of even the earliest rays of the sunrise. Perhaps it had something to do with being a Golden Elf, or perhaps it was just her personality.

She slipped her socks and boots over her feet to repel the chills of the stone floor, pulled her light leather armor and hooded cloak over her body, and sheathed her dual longswords at both of her sides. She knew attachment to material items was something to try to avoid, especially in the adventuring business, but she couldn't help but miss the familiarity and expertise she had with her old equipment that had been stolen from her by Jon Irenicus. She had two magical longswords, Kathyra and Nightstar, so they were called, each of different enchantments and abilities. She would brandish one in each hand and they would give her perfect balance; nothing like the plain longswords she had now, which were battle-tattered and lopsided. It had taken her two years of searching for perfect equilibrium before she found those swords, and Irenicus had easily stolen and sold both of them. They could be anywhere in the realms by now.

Kanara shook her head. There was a much more valuable thing that Irenicus had stolen from her as well – Imoen, her best friend from childhood and faithful companion on the roads of adventure. Kanara would give anything to have her back. She felt almost empty traveling without Imoen at her side.

The elf pushed these thoughts from her mind as she slipped through the wooden door into the outside hallway without waking the still slumbering Aerie and Jaheira. The inn was silent at this hour of the morning; most of its guests were human, and as Kanara knew, humans often enjoyed sleeping through the first hours of the day. Minsc wouldn't be awake for at least another two hours or so, of this Kanara was sure. However, she didn't know the elusive Yoshimo nearly as well as Minsc or Jaheira, for he, much like Aerie, was a new member of the party whom they had come across in the dank tunnels of Irenicus' dungeon. The only thing Kanara really knew about him was that he was from Kara-Tur, a continent far from the land of Faerun, and his idea of adventure is whatever will increase the size of his wallet the most. Nevertheless, he seemed true enough to Kanara's cause, for the time being at any rate, and his skills of stealth and disarming traps was a needed addition to the party.

Kanara silently glided down the mahogany stairs that lead to the lounge and entry hall. The Mithrest Inn was a cozy one; wooden tables were scattered about the floor, some with playing cards strewn across their surfaces, and velvet drapes lined the windows; filtering the yellow rays of sunlight that shone from the east. Thick, regal carpets covered the shale floor tiles, and an inactive fireplace to the elf's left looked to be a warm retreat from a cold night. A piano stood deserted on a stage-like platform to her right, beckoning her to run her fingers over the ebony keys and play a tune to chase away the haunting memories of Irenicus' dungeon. With some amount of effort, she tore her eyes away from the musical instrument tried to forget it was there.

She ran her finger around the gold piece in her pocket that would buy her breakfast and turned to face the bartender's counter. She was surprised to see Yoshimo sitting on one of the barstools with a plate of food already in front of him; his armor fastened to his body and his sword at his side. He looked as though he was ready to march out the door at this very second to begin the day, only deterred by the fact that none of the other party members were yet awake. Kanara was just shocked to find that someone had actually awoken before she had.

She quietly moved toward the counter and sat down on the stool next to Yoshimo's, wondering if he had heard her approach. "Top of the morning to you, my friend," she greeted warmly. "My, you're up early."

He turned to her with a welcoming smile on his face. "Never hurts to be prepared for the day," Yoshimo responded. "I'm just surprised to see you awake at such an hour; after last night's… events."

Kanara felt her face redden. "I woke you up as well, did I?"

"You must have been having quite the night terror. I heard your screaming right through the walls, but after the horrors of that dungeon that we saw, I can hardly blame you."

"Aerie was right, I must have woken the entire inn with my infernal screaming," Kanara muttered.

"Not quite the whole inn, my elven friend. Minsc slept right through it. Waking him must be like trying to wake a sleeping giant, I'd imagine."

Kanara chuckled. "Aye, that it is. I know from experience. You must think him quite the odd man because of his… condition. I only hope that he does not irritate you."

"He and his hamster? Yes, they are an odd pair, though I have seen stranger things in my travels."

"That relieves me. I would hate to have the most bizarre creature we've come across to be fighting right alongside us. It is best to avoid tension within the chain that is our group, for one weak link in even the sturdiest chain can cause it to snap and its freight come crashing to the ground."

Yoshimo laughed softly. "You speak as though reading from a book of poetry, Kanara. You are a bard, are you not?"

"I suppose one could call me a bard if they so desired," Kanara answered. "Though the term 'bard' is very difficult to define because we 'bards' are so diverse."

"We travel together and yet I know so little about you. I would love to hear the details of your previous adventures first-hand one day, should you ever have time to speak them. Unless, of course, you think that such time could be better spent doing something else?"

"You're asking a bard if she'd pass up the chance to recount the bloody particulars of her exciting years of adventures to a willing listening audience? I'd sooner impale myself on the spikes of a Wyvern's tail."

"Ha! I like you, elf. You are a pleasure to talk to. I'm sure that I will enjoy traveling with you and the rest of your group. That is, if you'll have me."

"Your company would be appreciated, Yoshimo. Every group perhaps needs a little touch of the… unlawful arts from time to time. I have no objection to it. I'm not always so legitimate, myself," Kanara responded, referring to Yoshimo's obvious proficiency in the talents of thievery.

"Truly? You strike me as a good, law-abiding person."

"Ah, but that in itself is a skill, no?" Kanara said with a sly smirk, her icy blue eyes flashing deviously. "That I might fool anyone into thinking I'm someone I'm not, that I might distract even the sharpest eye with the magic of my right hand whilst I reached into his pocket with the other. There is always more to a person than meets the eye."

"Indeed. We are not so different, you and I. I will… most definitely will benefit from traveling with you, and I hope to become… a good friend of yours," Yoshimo said, almost hesitant of his words.

"Aye, but there be no honor among thieves," Kanara replied darkly, looking down at the counter in front of them. "Rest assured, friends we may become, but I know next to nothing about you or where you come from. I'll be keeping both eyes open when dealing with you."

Yoshimo was taken aback slightly at the sudden turn of the conversation, and chose not to reply. He turned his attention back to the plate of food before him and continued to eat, wondering if this was how Kanara treated all the new members of the party or just the ones with a questionable reputation. After a moment's pondering he shrugged it off. She was wise to be wary of him; he was, after all, a thief of no saintly repute, and he did come a land far away from Faerun. He would have acted the same way towards her under those circumstances.

Two sets of footsteps could then be heard climbing down the stairs behind them. Kanara turned to see Jaheira and Aerie fully dressed and rested, their eyes bright and makeshift equipment outfitted onto their bodies. Aerie held an unadorned wooden staff in her right hand and Jaheira wielded a crudely manufactured spear in hers, and both of their sets of leather armor was torn and frayed at the sleeves and bottom. Suddenly, Kanara wondered how their group possibly escaped from Irenicus' dungeon alive with the dilapidated gear they were presented with.

"Good morning," Kanara saluted, relieved that the uncomfortable moment with the now quieted Yoshimo had ended.

"And to you," Jaheira said, taking a seat next to Kanara. Aerie followed with the next stool over.

"You look well rested, Kanara," Aerie told her. "Despite the restlessness of l-last night."

"That was the first night I have spent in a real bed in weeks," Kanara replied. "I wasn't going to let a simple dream ruin such a pleasurable experience for me."

"As much my druid training loathes to admit it, I did find it very enjoyable to indulge in the material comfort of a warm bed," Jaheira said, almost ashamed of herself. "Druids are not supposed to cosset such a primitive and creature want, but after sleeping against the cold bars of my cage for the past few weeks, I couldn't help but feel satisfied by the soft caress of bed sheets against my skin."

"You worry far too much, Jaheira," Kanara said, signaling the innkeeper that she wished to order breakfast for her group. "There's no dishonor in spoiling oneself to physical comforts."

Jaheira ignored her and turned away towards the approaching innkeeper. The keeper was a fat woman wearing a green dress, her face was oily and her posture rigid. She had sullen bags under her eyes and wore a tired frown across her face, pursed lips and lackadaisical features. "Aye," she said blandly as she came close to the party's counter. "What can I getcha, elf woman?"

"Whatever you have to offer on a clean plate, if you please," Jaheira replied.

The innkeeper gave a small snort in the back of her throat. "And you, young ladies?" she addressed Aerie and Kanara.

They both dittoed Jaheira's request, and the innkeeper indifferently waddled through the kitchen door at the rear of the room. The door closed with a snap behind her.

"Charming innkeeper we have here, don't we?" Kanara commented sarcastically.

"That is to be expected in Athkatla," Jaheira replied. "Do not anticipate any welcome in this city, my friends… This is the City of Coin, so they say, and the people living here will do near anything to relieve us of our money or otherwise remove us as competition. Not to mention the overall hostility from even the simplest commoner towards adventures like ourselves."

"This all seems rather silly to me," Aerie said innocently. "Why these people feel s-so compelled to be rude to one another, I will n-never understand. Why can't they all just work together in their city in peace?"

"You are young and naïve, Aerie," Jaheira responded. "You know nothing of civilization or the real world. Cities are magnets for selfish people who wish to attack one another either financially or in power struggle, and the only way to survive is to fight back. Crime is almost part of the economy – if it was taken away, the large organizations would dominate the financial system because none of their money would be stolen, and there would then be less money for the average peasant. There is always prey and predator here; there is no way both teams can win."

"And… and people choose to live this way?" Aerie asked, creasing her brow.

"It's got nothing to do with what you choose. Much of people's lives happen without their choosing, even if they do not realize it. Take Kanara, for example," the druid said. "Kanara, did you choose to become the adventurer you are today?"

"Of course not," she answered. "I thought I would live in the halls of Candlekeep all of my life. Adventuring was forced upon me, though I choose to make the best of it."

"You see, Aerie? Choice is hard to define. The choices that really matter are the ones that you make because of the things that are forced on you. Kanara chose to try her best to enjoy her life as an adventurer rather than detest it because it was forced upon her."

"I… I think I understand…" Aerie murmured.

"Here's another example. Did you choose to have your wings taken from you?" Jaheira asked the Avariel elf.

"I most certainly did not!" Aerie cried.

"And yet you still choose to carry on with your life," Jaheira pointed out. "The sad thing about the residents of Athkatla is that most of them have very little choice in their lifestyle. Say you born into a peasant family living in the slums; you would have no choice but to work to put food on the table. Should you aspire to making enough money to move out of this city and into the suburbs, your money would most likely be stolen from you before you could make any attempt at such a move, and then you would be right back to where you started."

"That's awful!" Aerie exclaimed.

"That's life," Kanara put in, only half-listening.

"As awful as it may be, Aerie," Jaheira continued, "It does create an irreversible cycle between the power groups, the thieves, and the peasant folk. This is a balance, however primitive, and should not be dismissed for simple archaic and unlawful behavior. In many ways, the thieves of Athkatla are the ones who keep the balance, for they steal from the larger organizations and law and then become customers to the peasants, who pay taxes to the law and large organizations."

"I n-never thought of it that way," Aerie said.

"You have much to learn about the world," Jaheira said wisely. "As does Kanara."

The bard, who was facing straight forward and pretending to be fascinated with a rack of deer antlers hung on the wall, gave a barely audible huff of annoyance at Jaheira's words. She was about to respond with some kind of witty remark about druids' shortsighted obsession with neutrality, but quickly decided to keep the statement to herself. As she had previously said to Yoshimo, she did try her best to avoid turmoil within her party, as that hardly ever lead to any situation that she or the rest of the group could benefit from. Disorder was best left for when it was truly necessary, and, as Kanara was indeed quite a master manipulator, she knew picking a fight of wit and wordplay with Jaheira was uncalled for (even if she was positive she would win.) Though Jaheira did very often test her nerves so close to their breaking point…

After a few moments of silence from Kanara's part of the table, Yoshimo decided to make his viewpoint vocal, veritably saving Kanara from needing to respond. "But is that not why we all have come to the path of the adventurer?" he asked grandly. "To expand our minds to the truths of many dark secrets this land holds just under its skin? Even the wisest of us who claim to know all can still be awed by yet another morsel of information, and then be awed once again by discovering that they indeed did not know all there is to know!"

Jaheira narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, just barely enough that Kanara could tell that she was irritated by Yoshimo's veiled implication. She turned away and faced forward, dismissing the comment as if it was nothing more than the meaningless rabble of a small child. Kanara flashed Yoshimo a quick smile of both gratitude and triumph. He returned the barely noticeable grin just as quickly.

Aerie cleared her throat. "Wh-where is Minsc? Should we not be taking off as soon as possible?"

"My dear Aerie, with that ranger in the party, we'll not be 'taking off' any sooner than the late hours of morning on any given day. That man certainly likes his sleep," Kanara informed the wingless Avariel.

Aerie subconsciously gave a longing look towards the door. Kanara couldn't help but smile a bit. Despite her meager experience, Aerie was eager to see the city without the impediment of metal cage bars obstructing her vision.

"But worry not, fair Aerie," Kanara continued. "There will be naught to keep us from embarking on our epic voyage into the dark inner core of Athkatla once all of our company has gathered to eye and ear this fine morning. The anticipation of great adventure and treasure beckons our party into its sinister grasp, and my heartbeat quickens with just the thought of what kind of trouble we will get ourselves into."

Aerie giggled. "You've an odd way with words, Kanara, and yet somehow, I feel drawn to your articulate banter. It is… uplifting, and d-dare I say, inspirational."

"Why thank you, my affable elf," the bard beamed. "Your kind words are very much appreciated."

The foursome continued to talk amongst themselves over their food that arrived at the hands of the fat innkeeper, and Kanara managed to keep any of the four from ruffling up anyone else's feathers for the duration of the conversation. The dazzling sun continued to rise further and further into the sky outside as it too roused itself from its retirement of the night. The hustle and bustle of Waukeen's Promenade steadily grew with the brightening of the city; the storekeepers one by one began to man their posts at their tables full of mercantile goods, the early shoppers started to cruise the selections the merchants had to offer, and the inevitable thieves that stalked the shadowy streets of Athkatla retreated back into their lairs. Even the rats that scoured the pavement and under the produce market's tables in search of crumbs of food were replaced by cawing seagulls that soared overhead.

In Athkatla, everything changed when daybreak cast its revealing rays over the buildings. The beams shed light upon all of the lies and foul practices and robberies that plagued the streets during the pestilence of night, it drove all of the burglars and rapists and murderers back into the darkness where they belonged, but only for a little while. Night would always come again.

Such was life in a big city.

It was a little past noon before the heavy footsteps of Minsc were heard descending the stairs into the Mithrest Inn's common room. The ranger had most definitely been very physically strained from the group's flee from the dungeon, and the party was very understanding of his fatigue. He, after all, did provide most of the muscle in the group, and Kanara wasn't sure they would have escaped without him, for she had been wracked with exhaustion.

Minsc, of course, was carrying his hamster, Boo, on his shoulder as he approached the foursome, an amiable smile on his face and his demeanor its usual cheerful bearing. They all exchanged greetings and Minsc ate his breakfast quickly, occasionally feeding his hamster from his plate as he had often done in the past. Kanara gave little mind to it. She had grown tolerant of Minsc's foolish obsession with his hamster and kept him in the party simply because he was such an excellent melee fighter, and mostly ignored his sporadic advice which often sounded like the ravings of a madman. In general, she avoided insulting Minsc or his hamster, partly because Minsc was downright terrifying when he was angry, and he could easily cleave the bard in two should his berserking nature get the better of him.

Despite this, he was a good man; a mad, frenzied, and crazy man, but a good one nonetheless.

As Minsc finished the last few bites of his meal, the party eagerly marched out of the Mithrest Inn's front door and into the blazing heat of Waukeen's Promenade. Kanara squinted as her eyes adjusted to the overwhelming light and surveyed the marketplace vigilantly. From their elevated vantage point, she could see every inch of the esplanade from the circus tents down below to the vast arrays of fruit and produce being displayed on the far side of the bowl-like bazaar. Thin tarps covered the market stands to keep the sun away from the fish and vegetables, though on such a hot day as this, the meager shadows were doing little good to keep the food fresh. The shopkeepers seemed accustomed to this though, and the heat did little to deter them from conducting their business.

Kanara led the way down the white stone steps before them that lead to ground level, and she couldn't stop her eyes to be drawn to the massive avalanche of rocks and stones to her right where she and her party had emerged from Irenicus' dungeon just the previous day. The passage was now holed-up with rubble and could not be reached from their current side, but Kanara couldn't help but think that after all these years, there was a secret dungeon underneath Athkatla's promenade that no one knew about, not even the local guard, not even the _Cowled Wizards_, and no one had done a single thing about it. It made her wonder what other secrets Athkatla was harboring in its underside, and just thinking about it made her blood tingle with the excitement of unearthing such furtive explorations.

She watched as several children played innocently in the debris, weaving in and out of the rocks and seeing which one of them could scale one particularly large boulder. They were so carefree and lighthearted, while the whole time, a realm of torture and pain lay just underneath their feet. She wondered what the world had been doing while she was being tortured by that mad mage. She looked over the marketplace again. The people were same as always, just buying and selling, carrying on with their lives as if nothing else mattered, as if there was no evil and pain in the world. And that's just what they were doing as she was being brutally tortured and tormented – just as they always have and always will.

Such was life in a big city.

Kanara sighed and tore her eyes away. She continued to lead her group through the thick flurry of people that entangled the streets and flocked the stores, ignoring the frequent stares that she received from the townsfolk. They were unaccustomed to visitors, and from what Kanara could discern from their wary whispers to each other, a few of them recognized her group as the one that had surfaced from the massive black hole that had erupted from the ground, which their children now thought of as nothing more than a plaything. Kanara was used to such stares.

"Umm, Kanara," Aerie said as they walked through a particularly large crowd that immediately parted at the sight of them. "Have you given any thought to where it is that we are g-going?"

"That is indeed quite the correct question to ask," Jaheira said.

"We're going to find Irenicus," she stated blandly, not slowing her pace. "And make him pay," she muttered to herself, not loud enough for the others to hear.

"I don't want to be the one to point this out," Aerie continued, "but you don't really know your way around this city. I-I'd hate for us to get lost in the many buildings and houses that clutter the streets here, Kanara, not on the first day of our travels."

"Bah!" Minsc cried, his booming voice making Aerie jump. "You've seen one city, you've seen them all – worry not, little Aerie, Minsc and Boo will guide our group out of the vile stink of evil that clouds this town!"

"That's… that's very thoughtful of you, Minsc, but I believe it is Kanara who is to decide our c-course, and it for her to decide whether we will leave Athkatla or stay."

"Yes, it is ultimately Kanara's choice, but whether she'll make the right one remains to be seen," Jaheira put in.

Kanara groaned to herself quietly. What had she gotten herself into? She was now stuck in a party with a madman, an impossible-to-please druid, and an inexperienced elf girl who couldn't tell a kobold from a pixie. The only companion Kanara saw as a true asset was Yoshimo, but he was shifty character, and she didn't trust him entirely.

But, at the moment, she really didn't have much choice in the matter – she needed comrades if she wished to survive. Kanara was tolerable. It took a lot to push her over the edge, so she just decided to put up with the druid's criticism and Minsc's ravings for the time being.

"We're not leaving," Kanara announced, the crowds beginning to thin as they made their way to the edge of the fête.

The rest of the party didn't respond verbally. They just hoped she knew what she was doing.

A wide array of smells wafted into Kanara's nose as they passed the food market, some she recognized, others foreign. The odor of fish that had been left in the sun for too long lingered about the entire vicinity, but underneath this smell Kanara managed to uncover a wide variety of other fruity fragrances like apples and oranges and guavas. Other fruits on the shelves flaunted their unique characteristics, characteristics that Kanara thought she'd never see on a piece of fruit. Some were shaped almost like stars and others looked like cubical melons rather than their ovular counterparts. Kanara was suspicious of these fruits, and probably would not dare taste one if she were given the choice.

The ground beneath their feet changed from black pavement to brick road as they exited the promenade and began walking down the streets. The Amnish guards that were stationed at the entrances and exits to the bazaar regarded them with haughty glares as they passed; immediately judging them on sight and labeling them as troublemakers. Their eyes tracked them as they made their way down the street; watching for any kind of move or gesture that was in any way against Athkatla's laws. Kanara sensed the eyes on her and felt almost as though if she so much as sneezed improperly they wouldn't hesitate to assail her.

She swallowed and quickened her pace. She didn't want any more attention or hostility drawn to her than there already was.

"Might I offer some guidance, Kanara?" Yoshimo asked after several large strides to catch up with the bard.

"Guidance? You know your way around this city?" Kanara said, finally slowing her pace.

"A little," Yoshimo answered. "I have visited Athkatla on occasion, and I roughly know my way about."

"Why didn't you say anything of this before?"

"Because you did not ask." Kanara eyed him queerly. "I did not wish to assume any sort of leadership role in this journey," he continued. "It is clear that you are the head of this body, and I did not want to overstep my bounds. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't falsely assume that my knowledge of the area was any sort of challenge for leadership over the party. I prefer being in the background, but I also do not want us to get lost."

Kanara tilted her head. "I doubt I would have assume so, but I suppose it was rational for you to think I might," she said. "So where are we, then?"

Yoshimo looked around. "We're on the north edge of Waukeen's Promenade. That alcove over there," – he pointed to a stone arch off to their left – "leads to Athkatla's Slums. I would suggest that we head there first, for there is a well-known tavern called the Copper Coronet hidden amongst the filth. It may not be the cleanest or most upscale inn in town, but I'm sure that we might be able to find someone there who can help us with your quest, and it may serve as a good place to spend the night."

Kanara smiled. "Thank you, Yoshimo, I will certainly heed your well-thought-out advice. Perhaps we will go to this Copper Coronet of yours now, for I did not have any kind of real plan of action previously planned."

He nodded and they turned towards the alcove, Jaheira, Aerie, and Minsc closely following suit. They walked through the arch and marched down several streets, their scenery significantly becoming more and more dilapidated with each passing step. The pavement was littered with hay, dirt, and horse muck, and Kanara caught numerous glances out of the corner of her eye of rats scurrying in the shadows of the buildings. Alcohol bottles and garbage was scattered at their feet and had built up considerably near the drains in the roads, flies buzzed in their ears and eyes and the summoning calls of the street whores echoed between the houses.

Somehow, the blazing sun that beat down upon Waukeen's Promenade seemed to have vanished almost entirely. A thick shadow suffocated these slums, squeezing the cheer and life right out of the buildings. It was like time had just been set forward several hours; like it was a cloudy late afternoon while in reality it was just past midday. For some reason, this sudden change disturbed Kanara greatly, and she suddenly felt faintly afraid. The alteration was almost unnatural.

The bard pinched herself at her foolish notion of fear. She'd been underground far too long. This was the city; she had gone slumming countless times before in her travels and this one was no different. Slums were slums.

Despite her thoughts, a shadowy figure appeared from the darkness in beside her and caused her to jump. In moments, her swords were drawn and she was in a honed battle stance, and her companions were quick to follow her example.

The figure immediately put his hands up to his sides to show that he was unarmed, and walked forward several steps out of the shadows. "Coo!" the man said, staring fixedly at the many blades that were pointed towards his face. "Put down yer weapons, lass! I mean ye no harm!"

Kanara didn't make any motion to let down her guard. She arched an eyebrow, quickly looking the man over head to toe, considering his threat level. He was a medium-sized man, nimble and dexterous, and his hood was pulled up over his head. He was wearing leather armor that had been dyed jet black to blend into the shadows, and he hard large boots lined with studs along the sides and tongues. The man was quite obviously some sort of thief, but he didn't seem all that dangerous to Kanara – he was, after all, showing the palms of his empty hands to her innocently.

She adjusted the grips on both of her swords. "What do you want?" she demanded, signaling to the party not to attack with a flick of her wrist.

"I just wants to talk to you, lass, just words and that's all! Harmless little chat, no need to fight with me, I assure you!" he said hastily, not daring to remove his gaze from both of Kanara's swords.

Kanara looked him over again, a frown on her face. "Harmless, you say? How about you remove your pocket-dagger from your boot, then we'll talk."

The man met Kanara's scowl with incredulity in his eyes, hesitating before doing what she asked. His disbelief turned into a culpable smile, the words "You caught me," written across his face. He sighed quietly and kneeled down to his feet, reached into his left boot, and produced a small knife with a steel hilt. He tossed the dagger to Kanara's feet before finally drawing himself up to his full height again. Once standing, he returned his open hands into the air.

"Aye, they warned me you're a sharp one," he muttered.

"What do you want?" Kanara asked.

"I've been looking for you since you arrived in Athkatla, if I not be mistaken," the thief explained. "Kanara be your name, aye?"

"No, I'm afraid you are mistaken," she said stoutly.

"That so? I was thinking me sources of information infallible. Well, I suppose ye won't be wantin' any information on the young woman arrested by the Cowled Wizards when ye first came the Athkatla, aye?"

The bard narrowed her eyes. It seemed her arrival in this city had not been nearly as discreet as she had first thought. Before she could think of a response, Minsc had spoken up at the description of the young Imoen.

"You're speaking of Imoen?" he asked, brightening at her name. "What do you know of her?"

"Aha!" the man said enthusiastically as he looked Kanara dead in the eye. "So I does have you correctly. Coo! An' here I thought I be talking to a complete stranger. Wiping me brow, I am. Heh."

Kanara shot Minsc an irritated glare over her shoulder. He apologetically lowered his head slightly.

"Now, Imoen, aye… that be her name," the thief continued. "Young lass made the misfortune of castin' a spell or two in a city that frowns on such business. Bad timin', it was. You'd be thinkin' ye wants to find her, then?"

The elf shifted uneasily. Normally, a bard would want to her have her name be as well known as possible, but in the city of Athkatla and because of their current situation, Kanara was trying to keep her name and presence as secret as possible. Clearly someone else had different plans. "I'd rather know whom I'm dealing with, first," she said.

The thief jestingly slapped himself on the forehead with his hand. "Well, bless me for bein' an idiot if I haven't gone and forgotten me manners. My name be Gaelan Bayle. Ye needn't stretch you brain thinkin', I'm sure its name you haven't heard of."

Yoshimo stepped up behind Kanara and whispered into her ear. She tilted her head to listen but did not tear her eyes from the unarmed man. "I've heard of him, Kanara… at least a little," Yoshimo said softly. "He is a man with name connections amongst the underworld in this city. A man of his word, too, as far as that is worth."

Kanara gave a slight nod to show that she heard him correctly, but Yoshimo's words did not change any sort of caution she held for this Gaelan Bayle. He was a thief, and as honorable as his reputation depicted, Kanara wasn't about to throw up her arms and embrace the stranger in trust.

"Now that we've been through introductions, me Lady, might I ask that ye lower your blades? I ain't got any weapons, mind you, and unless you've got some sort of magic trick that will conjure a knife into me pocket, I don't believe there's any place 'round here I can get one."

Kanara angled her head suspiciously, but saw out of the corner of her eye that the rest of her party was already descending their weapons. She mentally shrugged and lowered her dual swords as well, but kept her grip tight around their hilts.

"I understand that ye might be untrusting of me, but I assure that all I want to do is help. You be renown enough that someone might be willin' to find this Imoen for ye, or maybe this wizard who held ye. Either way, they both went to the same place."

"How do you know all of this?" Kanara questioned.

"Coo! I knows very little meself, me Lady. I can, however, link ye up with a group that knows. Or can be findin' out," he added with a sly wink. "But this be not the best place to hold such a dialogue. I be having a place that would suit far better. It be just a short walk from here." He pointed down the street. "Why don't I take you there right now? Unless you've got some reason for not wantin' to come along."

Kanara looked back towards her party members inquisitively. Aerie shrugged and Minsc remained impassive, but Jaheira gave a wise nod.

"We need all the help we can get, Kanara," she said quietly. "The fact that aid has come to seek us out instead of the opposite is a good omen. We should at least see what he has to offer us."

"I am inclined to agree," Yoshimo put in. "This search for your friend will be no easy task. I wouldn't even know where to start. We should accept whatever assistance is presented to us."

Kanara looked to Aerie and Minsc. Neither of them seemed to have any objections.

"Alright, Gaelan Bayle," she said, turning back towards the hooded man. "Show us to your home."

Gaelan's face lightened up into a grin. "Coo! Come with me then!"

Gaelan waved for them to follow and then began to walk down the street towards his stronghold. Kanara and her group obediently followed like ducklings trailing their mother, whispering to each other warily.

The man walked briskly through the streets, paying no heed to the peasants and commoners and drunkards that were scattered about the roads. They all watched the group through expressionless gazes as the warriors past with their pricey armor and valuable weaponry, a secret flame of desire burning behind their eyes. Though their gear was almost useless by Kanara's standards, to the people of the Slums, it was the equivalent to a month of food on the table for their families. Kanara did her best to avoid eye contact with their longing stares.

Gaelan Bayle walked through the slums as easily as if it was his home, and had soon sped ahead of their group by nearly twenty feet. He gave no attention or pitying looks to the homeless or the poor, and glided down the road through the garbage and filth like the experienced street-thief that he was. Kanara couldn't help but notice that as they passed one solo Amnish guard, Gaelan turned his face the opposite direction and put his hand up to shield his features, albeit naturally and barely perceptibly. The guard seemed to take no notice.

Honorable reputation indeed.

The man approached a run-down ramshackle house crammed in between two larger buildings, opened the door, glanced left and right, and slipped inside. Kanara thought she almost wouldn't have noticed the house if she had not been led to it, for it appeared as though it had not been lived in for years.

The front door creaked as she pulled it open, but when she looked inside, she saw that the house's interior did not match up at all with the derelict exterior. The house's entry hall was tidy and clean, its floor mopped and shelves dusted. The faint scent of perfumes and colognes floated about the house, and the distant trickle of water spewing from a fountain could be heard through one of the hallway doors. Gaelan Bayle stood in the middle of the hall, watching them as they entered and were awed by the sudden change in landscape.

"Coo! It's good to be seeing ye once again, me Lady!" he addressed them cheerfully. "I see that ye were able to keep up with me alright, eh? I was afraid I'd lost ye there, heh…"

"I kept up just fine. Now tell me what this is all about," Kanara said curtly, reverting her attention from the house to the thief in front of her.

"Aye, I'll be doing that as quick as ye blink. I tell ye straight that I know of a powerful group that can be helping ye. They can be findin' the wizard and the young woman both they can." He saw Kanara arch her brow skeptically. "But they can be doing far better than the telling, my friend," he continued. "They can also affect the rescue of your lass, or the capture of the mage, to boot."

"Just what is this organization, anyway?" Kanara inquired.

A sullen expression crossed Gaelan's face. "This I cannot tell ye," he said. "Rest ye fine that they be willin' to help… and havin' enough power to challenge the Cowled Wizards. That's all ye be needin' to know."

Kanara furrowed her brow. "I see. And how much is this 'assistance' going to cost me?"

Gaelan hesitated. "It may seem costly, but think of the danger in crossin' the Cowled Wizards. A fair price, if ye think about it. It be twenty thousand gold pieces for their help."

Though Kanara did her best to keep her semblance neutral, her stomach twisted at such a large price. How did he expect her to produce such an enormous sum? Her party had two thousand coin's worth at the most at the moment, and reaching twenty thousand was a goal almost beyond sight. She noticed the rest of her party shift uneasily.

"Is there no way to lower the cost?" she asked casually.

"None. It be twenty thousand gold pieces or me friends canna' be helping ye."

"But we do not even know who will even be receiving it!" Minsc cried. "Boo thinks it's too much to ask. What if we were handing our money to an unjust organization? Kanara, there must be other more straightforward people who wish to help us."

Gaelan turned his attention to the ranger. "You might think so, but you'd wrong. There ain't nobody else who'd want to aid in the perils and dangers of this task; you'd just be wastin' your time searchin'. The offer I make is good whether you act on it now or not. You will come to see the reasonable nature of it, I am sure."

"He may be right, Kanara. It would take someone of power to find good information on the Cowled Wizards… this may be your only opportunity to find Imoen," Yoshimo said, his counsel astute as always.

"Spend not a coin now, then. Seek you fortune about the town, but remember that here is where your help is. Strangers are not always to be feared," Gaelan Bayle concluded, edging Kanara to accept.

"That is certainly not my experience in the past, but I suppose my friends are right in this instance," the elf sighed. "I'll be back with the money as soon as I have it."

"Aye, I'll wait for it. Brus'll be waitin' for ye outside. He's me nephew, an' he'll show you to the Copper Coronet. Ye'll find work easily enough there, ye will. Once ye've finished there, I'd check the Five Flagons in the Bridge District if you are looking for bardic work. There's a playhouse downstairs."

Kanara nodded.

"Fare ye well, then… an' give me greetings to Lehtinan if ye happens by 'im, heh…" Gaelan added, grinning sheepishly.

The party gave him several curious looks, but Kanara drew the group away from the mischievous thief as soon as he had finished. They followed her out the door, their armors clanking like shackles against the marble floor, and returned to the fumes and intoxicating filth of the outside slums.

Kanara couldn't help but feel somewhat overwhelmed by this whole encounter… Up until this point she thought she would be able to discreetly traverse the streets of Athkatla without attracting so much attention as she had been obligated to do in the past back in Baldur's Gate and the Sword Coast, but clearly that was not the case. Chaos haunted her at every turn, it seemed. But, at the same time, perhaps this was an occurrence that she could profit from, because Yoshimo was right – these people were probably the only ones who could help her find Imoen… in one piece, at any rate.

She sighed. Allies were expensive in the City of Coin, it seemed, though she wasn't surprised in the slightest. The thieves of Athkatla would plant a blade in someone's back for nothing more than a bag of coins, so obviously they could easily charge such an astounding price for their aid in such an astounding task.

Such was life in a big city.

**Well, there's the first chapter! Please write me a review and tell me what you thought of it!**

_Forbidden Amber_


	2. Vermin

_Vermin_

Kanara Erion led her party back out into the fleeting sunshine of Athkatla's Slums. All five of them were rather ill at ease from the distant goal that had been set before them by the thief called Gaelan Bayle, and none of them were sure that the large payment he demanded was possible to obtain through legitimate means alone. That's where Yoshimo came in handy. Though Kanara was sure that she'd receive numerous complaints and criticisms from the rest of the party, she was positive that she would need to bend Athkatla's laws in order to fulfill her quota.

_Aw, well,_ she thought to herself. _They shouldn't be traveling with me if they expect that this journey is going to be completely lawful._

The door to Gaelan Bayle's home shut with a snap behind her, its rusty hinges creaking in protest of the use. Kanara looked around and suddenly felt like an ant lost in the middle of a grass field, clueless as to which way to go or how to find her way out. She would have to keep her wits about her if she hoped to avoid being stomped on.

Suddenly, a young boy's voice addressed her, and she immediately searched for the source of the sound. "Hoy! You'd be the one I's watchin' for, aye? Uncle Gaelan told me to give you a bit of help to find some work. Listen up, eh!" the boy called as he approached the party, intrepid and gregarious in his words. He looked to be about eleven years old, but already seemed adept at the ways of the street and Kanara imagined he was already skilled in pilfering items from any available pockets that crossed his path.

"You must be Brus," Kanara said to the child, recalling the name that Gaelan had mentioned.

"Aye, that I am," Brus replied, his eager child face lightening into a grin. "And you be needin' some coin to line yer pockets, eh? I gots just the place for you. If you go to the Bridge District, there's this place called the Five Flagons. They gots some sort of play goin' on there. You're a bard, eh? Maybe you'd want to check it out. Do you want me to show you to the edge of the Slums?"

"Actually, we've been contemplating visiting a tavern called the Copper Coronet," Kanara said. "Can you take us there?"

The boy shrugged carelessly. "Sure thing. It's just down the street 'ere. Make sure you stay close, 'cause I won't be waitin' for ye."

And with that, the boy turned and began walking down the south streets, his pace faster than Kanara would have expected from such a young child. He moved much like his uncle did: quickly and never breaking step until he arrived at his destination. That's how things were in the Slums – if you were slow, thieves would catch up with you. Life in the slums was survival of the fittest, and Kanara could almost compare it to the hazards of traversing in dangerous uncharted territory. One wrong move here could be your last.

The boy led them past a small gnomish house and several abandoned residences; his diminutive presence unnoticed by the homeless and the beggars. Kanara did her best to follow in his exact footsteps and was careful to keep an eye on her party members to make sure they didn't step out of line in any unsafe way. They had soon arrived at the front of the Copper Coronet, and Brus gestured towards the door.

"'Ere we are," he said. "The Copper Coronet."

"Thank you, Brus," Kanara said.

"Don't be thankin' me. Be thankin' me uncle for keepin' an eye out for ye. Ye'd be dead in minutes if it weren't fer him and his… contacts."

Kanara looked at him quizzically.

"But ye didn't hear nothin' 'bout that from me, mind you. And a wise word to ye before ye goes in there – keep yer head down while yer in the Slums. No need t' go shoutin' your name all over the streets or the taverns. Better t' stick to background while yer here; ye wouldn't want some bad people t' be getting a hold of yer name."

"Would we really be that much of a target?" Aerie asked.

"Couldn't rightly say. Don't know anythin' 'bout you. All I knows is that if Uncle Gaelan wants a hold of ye, then a bunch o' other people probably want to as well. But some more advice: stick with me uncle. He'll know what t' do with ye."

Kanara nodded. "We'll see."

Brus shrugged. "It's yer life, I s'pose. Speakin' of which, I got t' get outta here. I got better things t' do than guide adventurers down to their waterin' hole. Goodbye!" And with that, the youthful boy turned on his heel and disappeared into the shadows of the streets, leaving Kanara and her party without escort. They turned towards the door.

The immediate and overwhelming smell of alcohol blasted the party as they entered the front door to the Copper Coronet, drunken laughter howling, serving girls taking orders and trying to ignore the rude comments from the drunkards; it was one milieu that Kanara finally felt that she could relate to. It may not be attractive by most people's standards (and even for Kanara, this tavern was a little uncouth) but this truly was where a bard belonged unless she was off adventuring and seeking her fortune. Suffice to say, Kanara knew her way around hostelry from years of experience.

The rest of her party did not seem to take to their new surrounding in such a welcoming manner, except for Yoshimo, who didn't seem to change his demeanor whatsoever.

"Ugh, Kanara, what is that smell?" Aerie whined, wrinkling her nose at the dank air of the bar.

Kanara turned to the young elf with a playful grin on her face. "Why, that's the smell of wine, beer, and whiskey, fair Aerie! That's the smell of enjoyment, pleasure, and satisfaction; the smell of cheating husbands, scoundrels, drunkards! That's the smell of retired adventurers whom comprise hours upon hours of exciting tales of escapade and woe; now squandering their riches by drowning themselves in a mug of ale! There's a limitless supply of legendary tales of adventure and anguish that are exchanged in a tavern, and I'll not leave until I get my piece of it all!"

Aerie stared at Kanara quizzically, obviously at a loss for why anyone would choose to stay in such a vulgar place longer than necessary. She looked away, taking in her surroundings as though assessing the damage of a ruined building.

"Truly a bard down to the core, aren't you, Kanara?" Yoshimo said with a laugh.

"Boo agrees with Aerie," Minsc said. "This place is filthy and reeks of foul deeds. I hope we do not stay here long."

"Come then, my friends," Kanara announced. "This tavern is but a stone in the mud, and it is time we lifted it to see what kind of worms squirm underneath."

The bard looked to the left and spotted the bar off in the distant section of the ground floor, stools flooded with customers, and concluded that that would be as good a place as any to start her thorough dissection of the Copper Coronet. She led the way towards their destination and spotted a large circular fighting pit built into the left-most wall of the building, and was immediately intrigued. There was a dark-haired man standing in front of the pit, his face halfhearted and his back slouched. Kanara approached him inquisitively, but only after she spoke did the man acknowledge her presence by actually looking at her.

"Excuse me," she said, and was rewarded with his eyes. "What is this fighting pit for?"

He frowned at the interruption. "What do you think it's for, little elf? Use yer head, girl; this is a fighting pit, so obviously, it is used for fighting."

She looked through the bars into the dirt of the ring. Old blood spattered several patches on the walls and she thought she could see a finger lying alone on the far side. "Animal fights?" she asked.

"Yeah, dog fights," the man replied. "But should any people get into a scuffle and be makin' trouble at the bar, I'll not say no to lettin' 'em into the pit to settle their dispute. Keeps the bar cleaner, you see. Less blood."

"I do see," Kanara said.

"You… you make dogs fight each other in there?" Aerie asked. "That's horrid!"

"Don't be daft, girl," the man retorted. "Keep's them dogs off the streets, it does. They're dangerous free, but at least this way we gets to make some money off of 'em."

Aerie scowled, but chose not to reply.

Kanara heard several men behind her snickering about something they obviously thought was quite entertaining. She suddenly got the strange feeling that they were laughing at _her_, and she quickly turned around to make sure that wasn't the case.

There were three men standing round a nearby table, their faces lit with mirth and amusement, and Kanara quickly realized that the trio was indeed directing their scorn towards her and group. The rest of the party was soon aware of this as well, and were all staring dumbly at the laughing men, at a loss for their source of hilarity. Kanara frowned and was about to turn away when one of the men called out to her.

"Hoy! Well if it isn't a little dolly girl, dressed up like an 'adventurer,'" said the largest man. Kanara gazed at them curiously.

"Yeah, what do you plan t' do? Off t' kill a dragon, are we?" a second mocked.

Kanara narrowed her eyes maliciously.

"Let's just leave, Kanara," Yoshimo said. "No point in getting involved in this."

"That's right, slink away with yer tail between yer legs where it belongs. Ain't no room in this town for would-be warriors, dolly girl. Back into the toy trunk you go," the first man scoffed.

"If I was ever so unfortunate as to be you," Kanara retorted through clenched teeth, "I'd keep a more vigilant watch over my tongue when speaking to my physical superiors, lest I lose it soon enough."

"Oy, oy! That sounds like a bleedin' challenge, it does. You want a fight, dolly girl? You won't be able to beat me."

"Yeah, you're the best, Amalas!" one of the other two men said enthusiastically.

"Hey, Surly! Surly!" Amalas addressed the brusque pit-keeper. "Hey, open the pit, eh? Looks like I got me here some meat with a blade that wants t' fight!"

"Alright, I hear ye, no need t' yell," the dark-haired man said grouchily, unlocking the door to the fighting pit. It swung open with a creak from the dried blood that clogged its hinges.

Kanara tilted her head. She heard Jaheira mutter something like, "You can't be serious," and Aerie involuntarily took several steps backwards as though she expected a bloody swordfight to explode any moment. Kanara shook her head in response to Amalas' offer. "If I wanted to spar with street rabble, I'd pick a fight with the beggars on the road. I'll be taking my leave of you now, urchin."

"Not so fast, dolly girl," Amalas snarled, reaching his hand towards Kanara's arm. She immediately recoiled as his fingers wrapped around her upper arm, but he had a strong grip and refused to let her loose. "I said I wants t' fight with ye, and it'd be downright rude of ye to snub my offer."

The elf again attempted to pull away from Amalas' hold, but to no avail. "Release me, human!" she cried, but was only responded with a sharp yank from his wrist. He pulled her close and shoved her into the muscled wall of his two associates, and they immediately replaced Amalas' grip on both of her arms.

"Let go of her!" Jaheira commanded, but the two men were already pushing the elf into the fighting pit. The pit-keeper watched unenthusiastically, making no motion to the stop the harassment as the squirming and kicking Kanara was tossed through the open pit gate in front of him. She was forced to take several steps forward from the momentum of the thrust, and quickly whirled around to try and escape through the still unlocked gate but found that Amalas had followed her through the only exit, blocking the path.

The massive man approached her, his looming shadow covering her meager elf body with ease. He slowly reached for the leather scabbard on his belt and revealed a chipped and old yet massively large sword, the blade slicing through the air as he raised it high into the ambient torchlight. Kanara had no choice but to draw her own rapiers, their heavy and awkward weights still foreign to her hands.

"So… ye wants t' fight, dolly girl?" she heard Amalas mutter, quite clearly not searching for any particular answer. He charged at her, his boots crunching the gravel and bloodied dirt beneath their feet, and swung his blade as though to chop down an entire tree with one blow. Kanara effortlessly ducked below the shoddily choreographed swing and darted past the over-eager man, tapping his back lightly with one of her blades as she past by his torso. Amalas clearly had no experience with a sword, and was perhaps not entirely sober, for his attack was careless and imprecise. She could have easily crippled the man right then and there, but refrained to do so. She hadn't even wanted a fight in the first place.

Amalas quickly turned around, glaring at the slippery elf with rage burning in his eyes. He lunged with another swing, this one also unfocused, and Kanara again dodged the blow with cat-like grace. Another swing. She parried this one, using her dual swords to create an "X" as a shield. Then followed another two attacks from the hostile man, and Kanara was still without a scratch.

By this time Amalas was ready to burst with frustration and embarrassment, and Kanara noticed that his swings were becoming increasingly more forceful though increasingly less accurate. Their little brawl had suddenly drawn quite a crowd, Kanara realized as she looked through the bars of the fighting pit. Locals and regulars amassed around the circular pit, their numbers ever growing, and she heard them whispering things like: "Amalas is fighting a woman," and "Amalas is losing to that woman!" Cheers began to erupt from the crowd as she dodged the blows, and Kanara suddenly felt as though she was on stage in a theater and she had a room full of an applauding audience.

She rather liked it!

She looked to her party members who were standing near the gate, each with a different expression on their face. Aerie looked worried, her brow creased and hands folded together at her chest in concern. Minsc seemed impassive, though Yoshimo wore an amused smirk on his face. Jaheira, as always, looked to be indignant and disapproving, as though she thought that this entire encounter was a waste of time. In many ways, she was right, as much as Kanara hated to admit it.

Amalas' face was red with humiliation and shame, though he refused to give up on the offensive despite the fact that he had rapidly become the laughing stock of the entire tavern. He continued to swing, never once actually hitting his target.

"We almost finished here, human?" Kanara mocked.

"Not… not until I have your head!" Amalas panted.

"Have it your way, then… but don't say I never gave you the opportunity to flee," she replied, and promptly twirled past him in a whirlwind of blades, the gleam of their smooth razor edges turning a sickly dark red as both swords sliced through the flesh of Amalas' right bicep.

His cry of pain was drowned out by a sudden roar of Kanara's audience, the explosion spurred at the long-aspired-for sight of blood. Cheers of glee and entertainment rang throughout the tavern, and Kanara turned her attention to her gracious audience. Nearly every soul in the building had come to watch her fight, excitement buzzing through the swarm, and Kanara felt oddly satisfied, like a thirst for eminence had just been partly quenched. She lived for a cheering audience, and there was no place in the world she'd rather be at that very moment than performing for her fans.

She looked at the cringing Amalas, blood dripping from his open wound like red tears. He was cradling and whimpering over his arm as though she had severed it entirely, his eyes watering from the pain. She frowned and put her swords at the ready, and Amalas' face quickly turned from pitiable to determined. He abandoned his aching arm and once again took a hold of his gargantuan two-handed sword, anger and malice dominating his emotions.

He charged once again, aiming for her head this time, though something was different about his approach. It wasn't so sloppy or slapdash this time; in fact, it resembled the attack of an experienced fighter – or, perhaps, mediocre at least – and it caught Kanara off guard. She half-parried with only one sword, not expecting such a refined assault, and grimaced as Amalas' sword clashed with hers, her grip faltering as his might pushed against her guard. He pushed against her sword with all the strength he could muster, ignoring the screaming pain of his arm, and Kanara's eyes widened as her blade was slowly pressed closer and closer to her face. This fight had suddenly turned into a standoff of physical strength rather than agility, and Kanara was nowhere as fluent in that language of battle. Amalas' blade began to slide down hers, ever nearer to her exposed hands holding tightly to the sweaty hilt. Finally, Amalas' strength proved superior and their swords slipped, causing Amalas' blade to cut into her forearm. She watched, horrified, as blood began to seep from her new wound, and quickly retreated several steps away from her aggressor.

Both of the fighters stood shocked for a moment, deaf to the screams and yells of the frenzied crowd. They had both drawn each other's blood… this fight was no longer Kanara's; they were now equal.

Kanara scowled menacingly. No one stole her audience.

She forgot about her wound and thought about whether or not to bring a touch of the arcane arts into this battle, if just to bring awe to her spectators. But then she remembered what Jaheira had told her about Athkatla the previous afternoon: "Magic is forbidden in Athkatla," she had said wisely. "I would not advise use of it except in the most dire of situations." Kanara thought on this for a moment, remembering what had happened to Imoen when she used her magic, even to help the Cowled Wizards neutralize their target. Perhaps using her magic would not be the most logical way to finish this fight.

Amalas had finally recovered from the surprise of his recent success, and a sinister smile, one full of hope, was stretched across his face. He ran at her once more, sword help upright in preparation for another swing, his maniacal grin exposing two rows of bloody teeth. In a split second, Kanara realized how she would end this futile fight with this meaningless bastard, and instantaneously readied herself for her final act.

She waited until Amalas was just one step in front of her, his sword beginning to move towards her in hopes of another hit, and she turned sideways so that she was to the left of the quickly approaching man. With one undulating motion, she slammed her longswords into the hands that held the gigantic sword and they instantaneously released their hold, sending the weapon askew. It fell into the dirty ground with a puff of dust, a metallic ringing humming through the building. At the same time, Kanara had protruded her ankle into the man's path and he tripped over the obstacle, tumbling to the ground like a sac of flour. He landed on his back looking up at Kanara with fear-filled eyes, desperately trying to scramble to his feet.

Kanara lowered her swords so that one was a few inches from his face and the other pinning his chest; the disarmed man quite incarcerated by her authority. The crowd was now positively bellowing with cheers and primal ovation; cheering for Kanara who had bested such a man in melee combat when clearly no one else had.

"Kill him! Kill him!" some people of the audience cried.

"Chop off his arm and feed it to the dogs!" yelled others, their faces creased with madness.

Kanara glanced at her party members again. She looked into Aerie's troubled young eyes and lingered over Jaheira's objecting features, and knew what they wanted to see her do…

She thought for a moment. These drunkards and ruffians who were cheering her on, guiding her down the frenzied and meaningless path of pointless murder weren't her audience – her party was. They were the ones she wanted to impress with her performance, for it was their opinion of her that actually had an impact on her life, as much as she reviled to acknowledge it or told herself that was not the case.

With every action Kanara took, she was painting a portrait of herself for everyone else to see. She was painting her personality, her motivation, her alignment; everything about her had to be stretched across one mighty canvas, and at the moment, she was painting with all the wrong colors. Did she want to smear murder, mindless brawling, and bedlam across her image? No, that was not the masterpiece she desired to create; that was not what she wished others to perceive. She wanted to fashion a portrait that people would look upon with awe; one that people would admire and would be pleasing to eye.

That's what she wanted her party members to see.

She looked down upon the cowering Amalas, his clothes sticky with blood and dirt. He had his eyes closed now, listening to the ominous crowd that was demanding his death, and probably expected a killing blow to sever his head any moment now. There would be no profit from destroying this man.

Kanara sighed and sheathed her left sword. "Get up, human," she said quietly, reaching out her hand to aid Amalas to his feet.

The man slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her, hesitant of whether or not to trust her. He stared at her for a long time, trying to figure this warrior out, for her actions simply didn't match up. Cautiously, he took her outstretched hand and she pulled him onto his feet, not saying a word and not tearing his eyes away from hers, as though peering into the eyes of some sort of alien.

He regained his balance and their hands separated.

Another moment passed.

Suddenly, a tremendous chorus of booing and disapproving hisses were spat from the crowd, their expectations of blood and gore unmet. They began to bang their hands upon the metal grating that cased the fighting pit maliciously, as if trying to enter the pit to finish the job themselves.

Kanara surveyed them with a glazed look in her eye, a portion of herself still wishing to satisfy their bloodlust. She was a bard, after all, and it was difficult for a bard to give up a chance to please an audience, no matter how primitive that audience may be.

She looked to her party members who still stood near the gate. Aerie was… smiling. Minsc appeared favorable as well. And Jaheira… Kanara could have sworn that she saw one brief sparkle of _approval_ flash across her elven face. Such an accomplishment was no small feat; that druid had barely approved any choice ever made by Kanara in her entire life. It was this audience whom she had impressed, and just that slight glimpse of sanction from Jaheira made Kanara feel as though a room full of a thousand nobles were cheering for her after a phenomenal performance.

It was odd, too, though… Kanara had never cared much about Jaheira's approval. The two of them were just so different that she had never expected much support from the druid. Jaheira had little respect for many of Kanara's life choices, such as her barding, nor ever would, as far as Kanara's knowledge. Kanara knew that Jaheira was a Harper, a large barding organization, and therefore must appreciate the bard occupation, but she never seemed to approve of _Kanara's_ choice of becoming a bard. Jaheira had always considered her hours of practicing her music and poetry a waste of time and had never hesitated to make her opinion vocal. "Such time reading tales of other adventurer's voyages and woe could be far better spent living your own adventure," she had always said, though her constant barrages of irksome nags had not deterred Kanara from following her dream of becoming a famous bard. She hoped to one day perform music and plays for the most dignified people of Faerun, though was considerably side-tracked by the discovery of divine heritage and now the capture by Irenicus. From a bard's point of view, however, such journeys were simply more material to write about… once she had the time to do so.

Amalas cleared his throat. "Thank… thank you," he muttered, still flushing with embarrassment. "You spared my life even after what I said to ye earlier. Ye've got my most sincere thanks, dolly girl."

"Don't make me blush," Kanara laughed. "And don't call me 'dolly girl.'"

"Yes ma'am," Amalas said sheepishly.

They both walked towards the gate, an echo of the still sounding boos trailing behind them. Surly, the pit-keeper, promptly opened the gate for them as they exited, his face its usual unexpressive plaster. Amalas hastily returned to his fellows, head lowered in shame, and left the Copper Coronet without another word. He probably wouldn't be returning for quite some time.

The tavern quieted considerably as the disgruntled crowd began to dissipate with frowns on their faces, and Kanara's party approached her as soon as she left the restraints of the pit. Kanara stood tall and dignified before them, as though waiting to be judged.

"Boo knew you wouldn't kill the silly man!" Minsc chimed, a rather exaggerated grin on his face. "Such effort should not be wasted on the foolish, but rather saved for the butt-kicking of evil!"

Kanara gave an empathetic smile towards the ranger. She knew he meant well, but his insane ravings were rarely meaningful to her, for they all ended up sounding very much alike after such a long time of traveling with him.

"I-I'm glad you decided to let him go," Aerie said quietly. "He wasn't worth your time, Kanara. And I'm rather relieved that we have all been spared the gruesome sight of his… entrails ending up all over you."

Kanara chuckled. If Aerie continued to travel with her throughout their search for Irenicus, she'd end up seeing far worth things than the decapitation of one street-thug, of this Kanara was sure. But she'd see a lot of other things as well; beautiful things that she never would see if she were to be stuck in the circus all of her life, and Kanara hoped that would be enough to balance the scale.

She looked at Yoshimo, but his face was stone. He didn't seem disapproving nor approving in this matter, and chose not to speak his opinion, if he even had one.

And finally, Kanara turned to Jaheira. Her face was rather expressionless as well, as though nothing had transpired in that pit that was remotely worth consent, criticism, or even mention. They gazed at each other for a lengthy moment. Kanara felt she was due some sort of comment or explanation for the fleeting look of approval she received, though Jaheira seemed intent on pretending it didn't happen. Kanara had no idea why.

The druid gave a small inward sigh. "That's quite a gash you have on your arm there," she said slowly, feeling the many pairs of eyes on her. "Do you want me to take a look at it?"

Kanara gawked at her for another moment before replying. "It feels fine."

"Kanara, it's bleeding all over your –"

"I said, it feels fine," she interrupted curtly. "I'll take care of it."

Jaheira opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it again after Kanara's subtle glare. It was the glare that Kanara always gave when something had angered her, though she did not want to humiliate herself arguing or fighting about it. Such a glare silently though clearly stated: "Back off." Even Jaheira obeyed that message, and the rest of the party felt the concealed tension as well.

"Let's go," Kanara growled, stalking past them sourly.

The group followed her in silence, ignoring the stares they received from the patrons who had so recently been booing Kanara's performance. They looked down upon her distastefully as though she were walking down death row, but Kanara hardly noticed; her emotions were too peeved by Jaheira's blatant excuse for empathy. Put out from being disregarded, the drunkards soon lost interest; their attention returning to the waitress' figures and the shine of the gold coins they gambled on the card tables.

The tavern had soon changed entirely back into its normal hustle and bustle, the patrons returned to their drinks, the gamblers returned to their games of chance, and everything looked the same from when the group had first arrived. The tavern had forgotten about Kanara's unsatisfactory performance in the fighting pit, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would have received a more long-lasting response if she _had_ killed her opponent as they wished. Would they have remembered the scene for a longer period of time or would it just be swept under the rug, just as they were doing with the memory of her merciful fight?

Kanara cast off her thoughts as they approached the Copper Coronet's serving bar. It looked busy; waitresses flocked the counters like bees buzzing around a hive, pollinating drinks all around the crowded tables, and drunken patrons stumbled mindlessly about the floor, often attempting to grope the waitresses or female customers though where promptly reprimanded with a slap. One fat bartender attended the serving counter producing mug after mug of ales and beers.

The bartender watched them as they came close to the bar, searching their faces for something, though Kanara didn't quite know what. She'd been told that seasoned bartenders would sometimes gain an innate ability to sense the troublemakers at a glance, and perhaps this bartender was scanning them for such intent as he looked them over head to toe with a puckered frown on his lips. His eyes brightened as he caught sight of Jaheira and his scowl immediately evaporated, as though he recognized her.

"Jaheira, my old friend! What a surprise t' see you here in Athkatla!" the bartender cried enthusiastically as the group gathered about the counter. "You remember me, right? 'Bernard'?"

Jaheira smiled. "Yes, I do remember you, Bernard. Quite well."

"Well that's good t' hear. Wouldn't be wantin' to spread my name t' those who don't even recognize me. It's been a long time, Jaheira… and you and your colleagues 'ere are welcome to stay at the Copper Coronet as long as ye like, so long as ye don't bring no funny business in with ye."

Jaheira looked puzzled. "'Funny business'?" she asked. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

"Ye knows right well what I mean. Ye bring any Harper dealings in 'ere, and I won't hesitate t' remove ye. Now what can ol' Bernard get ye and yer pals today?" he asked, turning towards Kanara.

"Arabellan wine," Kanara said as the party each took their seats on the barstools.

"Alright, then. Anythin' for the lady?"

"Just water, thank you," Jaheira replied.

Yoshimo and Minsc continued to order two beers for themselves, though Aerie remained silently obstinate and chose not to purchase any kind of drink. She simply sat on her stool scouring the scenery in silent objection, her lips pursed and brow furrowed. She didn't seem as though she wanted to talk.

"Watched yer little brawl with that arrogant Amalas, I did," Bernard told Kanara as he handed the warriors their drinks. "Should have chopped off his head, I say. Ye got some courage not t' do so, though. The crowds in here can get quite… violent when they're angry at times."

Kanara looked up at him. "Really? How bad is it?"

"Oh, I seen tons o' terrible things happen in here when the crowd gets displeased… There'll be tramplings, fist fights, you name it. Even fires. Small ones, but fires nonetheless. I remember this one time 'bout a year ago, some traveling performer wandered into this here tavern an' began playin' songs for the patrons, just like bards tend t' do. He had the whole building cheering his name, he did… until he refused t' play a certain song that the audience demanded 'cause he thought it promoted hostilities between humans and his race. Blimey… that was the last night he ever performed, yes indeed."

"What happened to him?" Kanara asked.

"The angered mob got a hold of him… enveloped him like a pool full o' quicksand. I heard a rather nasty tearing and crunching sound over the yelling before his corpse was thrust into the air triumphantly over the heads o' the patrons, partially dismembered and bleedin' all over the place. Practically turned inside out, he was."

Kanara wrinkled her nose. "All that because he refused to play a certain song?"

"'Tis true, m'lady. The patrons here are particularly bloodthirsty, especially when grouped together in such a threatening way. I think it's 'cause they have such high expectations for blood and gore from the fights they hold in the back rooms."

"They have animal fights in the back rooms too, do they?"

"Not quite that, I'm afraid. They have men fight against beasts back there; terrible beasts like trolls and rabid wolves and whatnot. I never seen a more gruesome sight in my life."

"People _volunteer_ for these fights?" Kanara asked incredulously.

"Naw, they're forced t' fight. Nasty business, it is. I pretty much try t' stay out of it."

"So the gladiators are slaves, then? Forced to fight an ambitious battle of man against beast, to a slim hope of actually emerging successful? Seems like a waste of blood to me," the elf stated flatly.

"I don't know much about that, m'lady. You'd have t' be talkin' to Lehtinan about the stuff that happens in the back rooms. I just take care of the bar here. Nothin' more."

"That's very wise of you, I can tell," Kanara said as she took a swig from her glass. "Who is Lehtinan?"

"He runs the Copper Coronet," Bernard explained. "Ye might see him 'round here somewhere if ye decide t' stick around for a while… mostly comes out durin' the evenings, he does."

"Thank you, Bernard. Your insights are heartily valued," Kanara said with a charming smile.

"Just doin' me job," the bartender replied. He quickly glanced left and right before leaning closer to the elf and continuing in a hushed voice. "A word to the wise, m'lady… These here slums are not known for their friendly nature. I'd advise ye t' watch your back while you're in Athkatla… a little lady like yourself might find herself a popular target for some ill-intended practices. Never walks the streets alone, even durin' the daylight hours."

Kanara nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry, my friend; this little lady knows the language of the street like that back of her hand. I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

Bernard gave a apprehensive huff. "Ye might think so, but Athkatla is a city like no other. There be thieves behind every corner, cutthroats hiding in every shadow. Ye can't trust anyone ye meet here, and I would suggest even bein' wary when dealin' with those that travel with ye." The man gave a barely noticeable nod towards Yoshimo, who was too busy staring into the depths of his mug of beer to notice or listen to their conversation.

"Him?" Kanara whispered.

"Aye, him," Bernard replied darkly. "Ye don't know him well, eh? Recently joined your group? I can smell the trouble on him a mile away. I wouldn't trust him."

Kanara glanced at the thief out of the corner of her eye. He had begun talking to Aerie about something, so Kanara was quite certain that he hadn't heard what the bartender had said about him. He did seem a little suspicious… though Kanara couldn't put a finger on the exact reason. "I will most definitely take your words… into account," she said slowly.

"That's smart girl. Now I'm afraid I'll have t' leave ye for now, I've got t' go refill my stock here…" Bernard mumbled as he turned towards the nearby storage room. "Have a nice stay, little lady." He sauntered off towards the room, leaving Kanara to her thoughts and drink.

She ran her finger around the mouth of the glass, staring thoughtfully at the wall behind the bartender counter. Could Yoshimo really be insincere? She never did get a straight explanation for why he was down in that dungeon, but he did seem an amiable fellow. Only time would reveal his true nature… and during that time Kanara would be keeping an eye on this shady character, and perhaps try to find out little more about his past.

She continued to gaze at the wall for a few more minutes, listening to the cheerful banter and drunken laughter that surrounded her on all sides. This tavern had taken a rather nasty twist from the first impression she had made of it when they first entered… Kanara had been to taverns full of hostile drunkards and meaningless fighting before, but this one surpassed all the others. Never before had she been in such a bawdy house of violence and slavery and, she could safely assume, prostitution. From the quantity of bouncers that guarded the entrances to the back section of the Copper Coronet, Kanara imagined that there was a whole world of vulgar and coarse activities that took place in the back rooms. Prostitution, illegal drug use, and the beast fights she had been told about were a few that came to mind, but she knew there was probably much more.

She gave a small sigh. Though she appreciated a tavern full of character, this one had almost too much to bear. She felt almost as though she were swimming in it, and knew not where to start her exploration.

The sound of a man clearing his throat from behind her pulled the elf back into reality, and she immediately turned around to face her addressor.

She found herself looking upon a tall man dressed in shining polished armor; armor so flawless that looked as though it had never been subjected to the abuse of battle. His helmet was removed as a sign of chivalry, and he bowed low as soon as she turned to him. He had brown hair that was cut short, blue sparkling eyes and well-placed features upon his face. He appeared young and strong, perhaps just a few years older than Kanara herself, and created an aura of gallantry at just a glance.

"Fair lady," he said in a noble voice, though he seemed hesitant to speak to her, "I happen to have been watching your impressive performance in the fighting pit just a few minutes ago… and I am intrigued by your both your presentation and decision regarding your aggressor."

The rest of the party turned to look at the man curiously at the sound of his voice, and Kanara noticed him shift nervously at the many pairs of eyes watching him. Kanara raised an eyebrow at the man's statement. "I've already got myself a enthusiast union, do I?" she said with a laugh. "Are you here to criticize or eulogize, stranger?"

"Most certainly the latter, Milady," he said politely. "I am taken aback by the courage you possess that allows you to make the righteous decision concerning that overconfident adversary of yours, even in front of an entire room full of people demanding a gruesome death. Such a display is rarely seen here, Milady… and I should most definitely like to join such a virtuous alliance, if your were to have room for one such as I."

Kanara sat stunned for a moment. "I don't even know your name, stranger."

The man smiled an embarrassed grin. "I've forgotten my manners, Milady. Please allow me to introduce myself: I am Anomen Delryn, son of Lord Cor, paladin-in-training for the Order of the Most Radiant Heart." He bowed again.

"And… you wish to join my group? Might I inquire as to why?"

"I seek adventure and recognition," Anomen replied. "I wish to prove myself to my Order in hopes of one day passing my Judgment Test and becoming a true Knight of the Order. Your group here is the only one that I have seen that has one speck of respect for life and decency, my lady, and I should like to be a part of such glory."

Kanara continued to stare at him with her brow raised, not expecting such an offer in such a place. "I do believe you've received the wrong impression about me, Anomen Delryn," she said. "I'm not really the 'noble and virtuous' type, I'm afraid. You'd only soil your clean name traveling with me."

"I refuse to believe it," Anomen said curtly. "Any person who would spare that man you were fighting before a such commanding and violent crowd could be nothing but noble. I heard those rude things that he was saying to you before the fight… I'm not sure even I would have had the self-control to allow such an conceited man to live."

Kanara felt herself blush modestly.

"We travel through perilous grounds, Anomen of the Order," Jaheira interjected judiciously. "And we have no patience for shirkers or laggards. If you journey with us, you must be prepared for an extreme and hazardous experience like no other. Days without sleep, days without food or drink… these are just some of the things that we have had to endure in the past. And those who fall behind are often left behind."

Anomen swallowed. "I'm prepared for such a task, Milady. I have been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time now, and I'd be a fool to pass it up. I have been yearning for a chance to prove myself to my superiors, and it seems Helm has finally delivered it to my doorstep when you walked through that door."

"You… you're a knight of the Order?" Aerie asked brightly. "That is wonderful! Such a noble occupation!"

"Please, fair lady," Anomen said quietly, "I'm not a knight of the Order quite yet. Only with experience of the road and the battlefield should I ever become one."

"In that case, I'm sure Kanara will allow your company to help you pass your test!" the girl beamed. "R-right, Kanara? D-doesn't our group have room for the divine servants?"

Kanara opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Minsc's loud voice. "Yes, yes! More virtuous heroes to aid in the butt-kicking of evil! The more the merrier!"

Kanara glanced at Yoshimo. He was staring at Anomen darkly, his eyes shadowed disapprovingly. He traced the shine and gleam of the warrior's armor bitterly, his jaw set and face hard. In one split second glance at Kanara she could sense his dissatisfaction as though he had bellowed it in her ear.

"I do not wish to speak for our insightful leader," Jaheira said, "but I feel I must point out that we are in need of more allies if we wish to succeed in our quest. There is considerable safety in numbers, and to turn away a willing friend would be rather foolish."

Kanara ignored her, keeping her eyes fixed on Anomen in thought. Perhaps her party was right; after all, she didn't have any particular objection to working with religious warriors.

"I… I don't only possess skill in the way of combat, Milady," Anomen continued. "I also have knowledge in the healing arts. You got a rather large cut on your arm in your fight," he said, looking compassionately at her bleeding forearm. "Would you like me to mend it for you?"

She had forgotten about her wound, but at the reminder, it began to hurt once again. Anomen took several steps towards her and gingerly took her injured hand, and in doing so Kanara caught a whiff of his scent. He smelled good.

Anomen muttered a few divine words and waved his hand over her gash. Kanara felt a pleasant tingle and warmth as the tear in her flesh sealed back together once again, and new skin grew rapidly over the fading scar. She withdrew her hand and examined her forearm, finding that the remnant of the previously bleeding wound was now nothing more than a barely detectable mark. Anomen smiled at her handsomely. Kanara silently noted that he had very attractive features.

Jaheira gave a light huff from behind her.

"Well, Anomen of the Order," Kanara said with a smile, "I am convinced that you indeed would be a very useful asset to our group. However, I have reservations about people I meet in taverns, this tavern in particular. If you are so fixated on finding honorable work to prove yourself, why would you look here?"

The cleric laughed. "A fair question, my Lady. In truth, I did not come to the Copper Coronet in search of work. I came to… retrieve my father, Lord Cor, from the back rooms of this tavern before he drowns himself in a mug of ale. My father and I did not… choose the same path of occupation or lifestyle, you see."

Kanara nodded thoughtfully. "You need say no more, Anomen. Because we have need of a healer and a fighter, I welcome you into our group."

The man beamed. "Wonderful!" he cried, clapping his hands together. "I shan't disappoint you, my Lady!"

Yoshimo turned away and looked down into his mug once again, pouting. "That's just what we need; another pompous do-gooder within our number," he groused quietly before taking another large gulp of his drink. Aerie glared at him angrily.

"Enough," Kanara declared. "I'll not tolerate any further belligerence today, from any of you. Yoshimo, have another drink, if you must. Perhaps it will cool the fire that burns in your psyche."

Yoshimo narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. Aerie couldn't help but smirk the slightest bit.

"I'm sorry," Anomen said, watching the exchange. "I did not wish to cause any conflict."

Kanara shook her head reassuringly. "You have only caused a small ripple in a smooth lake. Conflict would be a boulder falling in."

Anomen thought for a moment. "Well, that's good to hear, I suppose. I find your poetic language perplexing."

Kanara grinned. "Many do. My words are what repel the unintelligent. Many a thick dwarf has become lost in my very first sentence, and even monks who study the most intricate of writings in the deepest heart of the libraries often ask me to repeat myself."

The newcomer laughed. "Then I do hope that I measure up to your standards," he said, taking a seat next to her.

"Worry not, Anomen," Kanara assured. "I'm sure you'll do fine for yourself in this group." She drained the last few drops from her glass of wine, puckering her lips as it stung her throat. She paused and shut her eyes tight, as though fighting away a headache. "I apologize, everyone, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a leave of you this evening," she announced. "The restlessness of last night has finally caught up with me, it seems. I'm going to check out a room and try to get some rest before the afternoon is through."

Jaheira nodded. "Go ahead, Kanara. We all know you've had a rough past couple of days."

Kanara managed a weak smile. "I'm sorry I cannot muster the strength to stay up and talk with our new party member, Anomen. I do not mean to be rude."

"No offense taken, my Lady," he said. "I know the path of an adventurer can be a stressful one. I'm sure we will talk when you are feeling better."

Kanara nodded towards her party and turned back towards the inn rooms, her muscles finally aching with weariness. Her group watched her climb the creaking wooden stairs and disappear through the doors that lead to the back section of the tavern, watchful for any miscreants that might be stupid enough to attempt any sort of unwanted acts on her.

Yoshimo and Minsc then returned to their goblets of ale, and Anomen shifted uneasily at his awkward social predicament. He wasn't entirely sure just how welcome he was in this party, and she wasn't sure whether to speak to the rest of the group to break the ice or if they would prefer to be left alone. He knew for sure that the hooded one, Yoshimo, as Kanara had called him, did not appreciate his company, but he wasn't sure about the druid. Was he truly _wanted_ by this group or was he simply needed from a numbers standpoint?

"So Aerie," he heard Jaheira say, and he was immediately relieved that the group had begun speaking to one another, "I'm curious as to what you think of our esteemed bardic leader."

Aerie stared at Jaheira for a moment as though she was unexpectedly being addressed by a superior. "You… you wish my opinion, Jaheira?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course. You are as much a part of this group as any of the rest of us. I am merely inquisitive about your interpretation of Kanara, for you have most assuredly seen the least of the world of anyone here, and therefore are the most impressionable. So… what do you think of her? Amiable? Enigmatic?"

"Kanara? Oh, I like her all right. She is charismatic and charming, of that there is no doubt. She seems to get a little… overexcited at times, but she's amusing nonetheless."

Jaheira frowned. "Yes, everyone loves Kanara. She's so charming and witty. Instead of attacking her enemies with the expertise of a refined warrior, she would regale them with a song or tale of riches and adventure."

"I can gather from your demeanor that you and Kanara have… a colorful history?" Aerie asked hesitantly.

"She'd be dead a long time ago if it weren't for me. I spent hours trying to teach her to fight like a skilled warrior as we traveled across the Sword Coast, trying to teach her the feats she'd need in order to survive, protecting her with my life, but it's almost as if all my lessons went in one ear and out the other. Kanara was always far too preoccupied with books and music to focus on her skills of survival. She never appreciated my efforts in the slightest," Jaheira scoffed bitterly.

"Pardon me for interrupting," Yoshimo put in, "but might I point out that, from what I've seen, Kanara is a fine fighter? She obviously can take care of herself on the battlefield."

"Yes, but she is vulnerable when she is alone, for she has poor judgment skills," Jaheira sighed. "She has too much pride – if a group of thugs were to assault her in the middle of night in some dark alleyway, I don't think she would have the sense to back away from bloodshed. She is easily goaded into fights with insults and bribery… and it pains me to watch such a failure in one with so much potential."

Anomen cleared his throat. "But does she not enjoy her poetry and music?" he asked. "It seems to me that we should all be able to choose what path we like; no one should choose it for us. I didn't follow in my father's footsteps like so many sons do, and I'm much happier this way."

"Do not mistake my words; I believe that the path of the bard is a fine profession if one so chooses the path," the druid continued. "However, what irritates me to an gargantuan degree is Kanara's blatant disregard for order and her unwillingness to follow instructions. Back on the Sword Coast she would always find discreet and seemingly unintentional ways to rebel against my guidance, and, I swear, if I am to offer any sort of advice to her she will purposefully choose the reverse action."

Yoshimo raised his eyebrows. "Well, to that I might say that you are perhaps imagining things…"

Jaheira shook her head. "If none of you agree with me, then not a single one of you has any more sagacity than she does," the druid spat. "But I will not waste time arguing, either. Time will reveal Kanara's flaws soon enough."

Anomen watched silently as Jaheira returned to her glass of water, momentarily wondering what kind of a group he had just been admitted to. He certainly didn't want to be in the company of a bunch of warriors who were constantly at each other's throats, but perhaps when Kanara returned, she would be able to calm her restless party. She did seem to have that innate allure and uplifting spirit that could tame any conflict.

He heaved a sigh as he made himself more comfortable by resting an elbow on the bar's counter, subconsciously scanning his surroundings warily. He was certain that his next few weeks were going to be quite eventful, and he hoped that Kanara was indeed the noble and righteous person who he had thought her to be. The banter of his new comrades was giving him considerable doubts. Nevertheless, he had pledged his service to this elven bard of questionable repute, and he would never go back on his word.

**Didn't think Anomen would make into Kanara's party did you? No, I didn't think so. It may seem strange now, but rest assured, I have a plan for him. And no, it's not "happily ever after."**

**Keep both eyes open for some potential romances in the upcoming chapters… and yes, these romances may involve Anomen… but will it end** **well for him?**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next chapter! Please review!**

_Forbidden Amber_


	3. Stones of the Fortress

_Chapter Three – Stones of the Fortress_

The pen felt good in Kanara's hand as she dragged it along the pages of her journal. Her writing was smooth and looped across the page in majestic cursive that twined her words together like long vines of darkest hue. She had been keeping a journal for almost as long as she could remember; though with each passing page that she bejeweled with ink, her passion and excitement for writing never lessened. For Kanara never thought of writing as writing. She thought of it as a great project, a towering mountain that she had to conquer, and every page was another step. Her journal was a chronicle of her own life so that she may never forget any aspect of herself. How could anyone lose a part of themselves if every piece was anchored permanently to a page?

It was strange; of all of the items she possessed, her journal was the most valuable to her, even over her armor and weapons. She had been so relieved when she had found her journal sitting upon a table back in Irenicus' dungeon in a strange peaceful room past the Dryads' grove. It had been lying open upon the desk; someone had quite obviously been reading it extensively, but she had been so pleased to see it that she hadn't cared in the least about anyone else shuffling through the pages. Only now did she finally wonder who had been scouring its contents.

She was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall of the Copper Coronet room that they had rented, and dipped her pen in the inkwell on the wooden boards next to her.

"_Athkatla is indeed like no other city," _she wrote. _"Violence and crime seem to stalk at every turn, and even as I walk down a peaceful street I feel as though the very buildings I pass have eyes that track my frame. There is unrest here, an epic energy that overflows the coffers of vigor, and I feel almost as though there is not a single being within the walls that is unaware of my presence. It is quite unnerving, but there is little I can do to stop it. I have no choice to continue my path, wherever it may lead me… until I find Irenicus."_

The elf stopped and rested her pen on her lap. She looked up at Aerie and Jaheira who were both stationed on the opposite side of the room, each on different beds. Jaheira was lounging on her mattress as much as her rigid posture would allow her, a scroll or some such in her hands. She looked to be trying to memorize what was written upon it, and was clearly enjoying the quiet of the evening. Aerie was simply sitting on her bed in silence, gazing at the far wall. Her eyes were dreamy and her face aloof in deep thought.

Minsc, Yoshimo, and Anomen were either in the next room over or still back in the bar on the ground floor of the tavern; Kanara wasn't positive which. She had fallen asleep for several hours earlier that afternoon shortly after she had admitted Anomen to her party, and had only recently awoken and begun another page of her diary. What the rest of her group had done with the time, she wasn't sure.

Something was disconcerting about their stay at this inn. It was too… quiet. Not in the auditory sense of the word, but rather the corporeal. Kanara could still hear the drunken laughs and yells of the tavern patrons downstairs, but an empty silence still seemed to envelope the entire tavern. It took her a moment to realize why.

Imoen was gone.

Kanara had been traveling with Imoen since she left Candlekeep, and a stay in an inn without her seemed strange and uncomfortable. If the girl had been there, she would have been talking the night away to the adoptive 'sister' that she had established in Kanara. There was a young charm in that girl, so juvenile, so ignorant and carefree… Kanara missed it horribly.

Much to her dismay, Kanara felt her eyes begin to burn with hot tears. She immediately blinked them away.

"Kanara?" Aerie called her attention from the other side of the room. Kanara looked up, hoping that her emotional display was no longer visible. "Is… is that a flute I see resting upon your pack?" Aerie asked, looking towards where Kanara had placed her back at the foot of her bed. Indeed, a narrow box coated with black leather leaned on the brown pack; its edges frayed and leather worn smooth.

Kanara nodded. "It is."

Aerie's eyes brightened. "D-do you play, Kanara?"

Kanara nodded again, a smile stretching across her mouth. "I do play, adroitly."

"Really?" Aerie asked, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. "Would… would you mind playing me a song, Kanara?"

Kanara sat paralyzed for a moment. Imoen always used to ask her to play song after song on her flute for her back in Candlekeep and even when they traveled across the Sword Coast together, and Aerie's request numbly stabbed her heart. Aerie reminded her so much of Imoen… in so many ways. They both had that undeniable youthful charm and soft wistful look in their eyes…

The elf shook away her thoughts and painted the smile back onto her face. "Of course, Aerie," she said happily, leaning over and pulling the black leather case onto her lap.

Aerie grinned and watched in fascination as Kanara quickly produced her white-silver pearlescent flute from the narrow box, its crystalline surface shimmering in the candlelight. Kanara placed her fingers along the holes, lifted it to her mouth, and held it to her side in preparation to play. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if envisioning the notes as she readied herself to play them. And slowly, carefully, gingerly, delicately, she began to blow.

The first note glided from the instrument and soared through the air like a feather blowing in the breeze, so light and smooth and pure; it sounded like the voice of an angel calling in a melodic tone. Aerie visibly shifted at the moving sound, and her smile got even bigger as Kanara's song continued. She felt as though the notes themselves were not only being heard by her ears buy also touching her soul, caressing it and settling into her heart. The song was slow and legato, flowing like a harmonious river, and the combination of notes sent pleasant chills down Aerie's spine. Even Jaheira, who had not moved in hours, lifted her head and discreetly quavered at the noise, though she attempted to pretend that she had been unaffected by the song.

Kanara's music continued for another minute, and it seemed to completely drown out the uncouth sounds and bellows that could have previously been heard from the tavern. Aerie could now only hear one thing: the serene melodious song and was suddenly swathed in tranquility. She closed her eyes and listened to the unwavering tones, tapping her fingers on her leg to the graceful beat. When the song finally came to an end, both elves opened their eyes once again, and Kanara lowered her flute from her mouth with a generous grin on her face.

"Oh, Kanara, that was beautiful!" Aerie exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Thank you," Kanara said, bowing her head. She subconsciously glanced at Jaheira as if part of expected some sort of praise, but of course, the half-elf was once again intently studying her scroll, wordless, as she always would be.

"Where did you learn to play so marvelously?" Aerie asked.

"Some of it from books, some from the bards that passed through Candlekeep, and a little from the road," Kanara answered, resting her head against the wall. "Like puzzle pieces, all of these sources now fit together snugly and compose my skill."

The elf girl nodded thoughtfully. "I wish I could play an instrument like that… you play so wonderfully," she muttered languorously, her eyes fixed on the flute in Kanara's lap.

"Ah, but you have other talents, do you not? I could never heal a wound with a simple touch and some magic words as you do, no matter how hard I tried. That skill in itself is beautiful."

"It's k-kind of you to say so, but that's all I can do. And I can't even do it well, at that. My magic is imprecise and often difficult to control, whereas you can control your powers and talents effortlessly, as I have seen."

"Skill takes time and practice, Aerie," Kanara said. "I did not learn magic or music overnight. It took years of performing, and even now I can still refine my expertise. You have as much potential and opportunity as I do, did, and ever will."

Aerie gaped at her for a moment, her mouth slightly open. Her blue eyes glistened in the candlelight and she blinked several times, almost flabbergasted. "N-n…" she stammered, and then got a hold of her tongue, "No one has ever told me that before, Kanara."

Kanara tilted her head. "But 'tis true, young Aerie," she said, grinning once again. "And don't you ever believe otherwise."

Aerie looked as though she might have thought she was in a dream, and Kanara noticed that her eyes began to subtly sparkle with moisture. She thought for a long moment, and finally beamed. "Thank you, Kanara," she said slowly. "…Thank you."

* * *

The next morning was far quicker than the previous one, for Minsc was now better rested and several fierce pokes and prods from both Yoshimo and the eager Anomen helped arouse him from his slumber. The ranger managed to roll out of bed at a reasonably early hour, but of course, he was still the last one awake. He lumbered down the Copper Coronet's stairs only to find that the rest of the party was already awake and eating their breakfasts, but, as always, he gave no complaints about needing to hastily finish his meal.

Anomen eyed the ranger queerly as he fed his hamster scraps from his plate, though he wisely decided not to comment. It was not his place to criticize or gripe about the companions that Kanara surrounded herself with, for at the moment, he was at the bottom ranks in this group, being the newest member. However, from the way Kanara hardly regarded Minsc as he entered, he could tell that they were clearly not the best of friends and Anomen wondered if the demented man was perhaps only tolerated because of his obvious physical capabilities. If that was the case, the unaware Minsc undoubtedly had no inkling of it.

"So, where are we off to today, my Lady?" Anomen asked Kanara as Minsc devoured the last morsels of his breakfast.

"Eager to get onto the road, are you Anomen?" Kanara asked with an amused grin.

"Ah, my Lady, I have been dreaming about this day for years! Yes, I have traveled some in the past, but never the unscripted adventures that I'm sure I'll experience with you and your company. Of course I am eager to begin."

"Very well then, Anomen, if you wish the surprise to be spoiled, I've decided to head off to Bridge District today," Kanara said. "I've heard there is a renown playhouse there, and perhaps we will be able to find some work."

Anomen rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Lead on then, my Lady!"

She smiled. His fervor was encouraging.

Anomen watched the elf intently as she turned away and walked to opposite side of bar, her waves of golden hair shimmering in the early sunlight. He had only recently actually realized the beauty she held; he had been blind to it the previous day because he had been so nervous about being accepted to her group, or perhaps he simply did not wish to see. He would never be able to become a paladin of the Order if he was associated with a female in such a way, so he had tried his best to simply ignore the lure of women, though Kanara's attraction was difficult to brush under the rug.

His eyes traced her slim figure keenly and he silently admired her delicately chiseled features as she talked to Jaheira and Yoshimo, feeling his heart skip a beat. He wondered if she had felt any of the same feelings when she looked at him.

Minsc pushed his empty plate forward several inches and patted his belly in satisfaction. "Minsc and Boo's stomachs are full now, and we anticipate the butt-kicking of evil today! Come, we must waste no more time in this gutter of foulness. Evil awaits our boot-print!"

"Yes, yes," Kanara muttered, trying to get the ranger to settle down. "It is time to leave this place. And fret not, Minsc, I'm sure you will get your fair share of evil-smiting of that is what you desire so," she continued, though she did have considerable doubts about how much evil might be plaguing the Bridge District's playhouse. However, in this city, anything was possible. Minsc's wishes may come true.

The group said their goodbyes to the bartender, Bernard, and filed out the tavern's doors one by one into the suffocation of the Slums. Aerie was smiling as she walked; she was obviously quite happy to get out of that bar and back into the sunshine, however smothering the environment of the Slums was. Minsc seemed happy as well, and as they walked down the empty street, his eyes vigilantly darted from one alleyway to the next as though he expected to find his highly anticipated evil crouching in the shadows awaiting his arrival. Of course, no such evil was so easily uncovered.

The city still seemed to be asleep at such an hour of the morning. The streets were mostly deserted and only a select few of the shopkeepers were manning their posts at their stores. Everything was much quieter than normal, and as Kanara's group quickly made their way to the Bridge District, even the seagulls that patrolled the skies overhead seemed muted.

The air around them changed from smoggy to crisp with salty ocean spray while they traveled into the Bridge District that overlooked the sea. With no interruptions, the group had been able to arrive at their destination in fifteen minutes' time. Kanara looked over the edge of the gargantuan bridge that connected the two halves of Athkatla into the blue-green depths of the ocean and was reminded of the seaside Candlekeep of her childhood. She would often climb onto the roofs of Candlekeep's houses and watch the glistening sea for hours on end as she practiced her flute or wrote in her diary; the enormity of the body of water was so mesmerizing and it helped her focus.

She gazed longingly at the ocean for one more moment before their group entered the building called the Five Flagons Inn. This inn immediately seemed far more tasteful and elegant than the Copper Coronet had, for its floors were mopped and carpets clean. Paintings and decorative rugs and other exotic furnishing were hung on the walls, and vases and pots of all sort of foreign origin festooned the tables and counters. The inn was not as deserted as Kanara would have expected so early in the morning. Dozens of people of merchant nature, sailors, and commoners alike were scattered through the entry room sipping on some sort of drink and having sophisticated conversations with each other – unlike the patrons of the Copper Coronet. The people here were intelligent.

Kanara liked this inn. It was this kind of tavern that she favored most of all, for she needn't look far to find someone willing to share a story of adventure to a willing ear without falling asleep from the liquor halfway through the tale. She felt very much at ease here.

She spied a cheerful halfling man dressed in bright clothing behind the serving counter and approached him with a smile of her own. He regarded them gladly.

"Hello, me good smiling friends! My name be Samuel Thunderburp," the halfling greeted proudly, his round face lifting in a toothy grin. "More customers, I see! A busy morn we been having this day. But you and your fellows do not look like the average street prattle, says I! What brings you and your adventuring kin to the Five Flagons Inn? I don't suppose you're here for the play, hmm?"

"Actually, I've been told that I might find some work here," Kanara answered.

Samuel creased his brow in deep thought as he filled another glass to the brim with some sort of deep purple liquid, scouring his memory. After a moment his face brightened again as if he had made a mental connection. "Aha! _That_ task. Nasty business, that. Yes, I suppose a group like you who prance on in here to this inn dressed like you're ready to fight your own shadows wouldn't be here for the entertainments."

Kanara looked at him inquisitively, for she still wasn't quite sure what "that task" actually was. However, if she seemed suitable for "that task," she wasn't going to pass it up if it would pay well.

"You should go speak to Raelis Shai," the halfling continued. "She be downstairs backstage. There's a play going on down there at the moment, but you're welcome to stay and watch it if you likes."

"Thanks, I'll do that," Kanara said, motioning for her group to head towards the descending staircase on the far left of the building. Samuel bowed his head and returned the task of minding that bar and cleaning the dirty mugs in front of him.

The stairs creaked as the party trod down the wooden steps into the theater floor, where they were promptly reprimanded for their loud entrance with a harsh "Shh!" from the ticket receptionist. Kanara looked to the well-lit stage beyond and saw that there certainly was a play in the middle of enactment, and from what she could tell, they were entering during one of the climax scenes of the performance. Kanara gave an apologetic look towards the receptionist and quietly placed several gold coins upon the coordinator's desk to pay for her party's seats. She then walked into the audience chamber and took a seat on one of the benches on the back row so not to disturb any other viewers, and the rest of her group followed her example.

The stage before them was rather cluttered with props and furnishings, and the items scattered around its edges could easily make the stage be used for nearly any kind of scene imaginable. The audience was full and seemed immersed in the scene and didn't take much notice to Kanara's entrance. There were two actors currently standing on the platform, a large harp separating them, and as they spoke, their words were full of emotion.

"…It seems your dear love has abandoned thee, sweet Lunisia," said a short and rather stout actor upon the stage. Kanara squinted to focus her eyes on these actors; they were of no race she immediately recognized. One of them had hair of vibrant red and the other a striking blue, and their faces were carved finely and precisely. The stout actor's voice was soft and hopeful as he spoke, "You have only one option left… turnest thou to me, and let us be wed at last!"

"No Kirinaldo, I cannot," said the second actor, a young willowy lass whose eyes sparkled with tears in the torchlight. "Oh, Rodrigo, Rodrigo! My fair love! Where hast thou gone?"

Then a third actor came upon the stage, though Kanara noted that his entrance was hesitant and shaky. This actor was a human dressed in blue, and his face was creased with nervousness and fear of the limelight. As he called out his lines, his voice was unsteady. "Here I am!" he said hesitantly. "Eh, here I am, my, eh… sweetums?"

The sinuous girl gazed at him for a moment, her discomfort with the human actor obvious. "…Yes! Rodrigo, it is thee at long last! But where have –"

"I've been… uh… across the sea, my fair, um… my fair one. Yes, across the sea and uh…" the human interrupted, his lines escaping his memory.

There was a hushed disturbance that traveled through the crowd at this man's entrance, and by the sound of their voices, Kanara could tell that they were not happy. She looked around, trying to focus on one of the many whispers through the audience. "Say… that's not the actor they had last time!" she heard one nobleman say in the row on front of them. There were several other broken exchanges, though Kanara had a hard time hearing them. She slowly looked back to the actors on the stage. They had momentarily paused.

The girl playing the character Lunisia cleared her throat. "…And perhaps on the new lands, my lord?"

The human's face brightened. "Yes, that's it! On the new lands. Yes, um…"

Kanara spared a glance at the faces of her party members. Aerie looked slightly puzzled, though Minsc appeared as though he could not detect any problems with the play in the slightest for he was smiling and making sure that Boo the hamster had a good view of the stage.

"Where's the actor that they had last time?" several other audience members mumbled, clearly annoyed. "This is terrible! Awful!"

Kirinaldo coughed loudly to get the audience's attention and began speaking in an exaggerated tone, far more thunderous than was necessary. "But… is it Rodrigo? No! No! How can this be?"

There was a long moment of silence from the stage. None of the performers moved as though each thought that the other had a line to say, and finally, the inexperienced human actor noticed that the rest of the cast was looking straight at him and realized that he had a line. He gave a small jump of surprise before speaking. "Oh! Well you should be so um… confused?" He gave a doubtful look towards Lunisia, muttered something, and nodded as she murmured her reply. "Baffled!" he cried suddenly. "Yes, well you should look so baffled my lord Kirinaldo! 'Twas you who… who…"

Kanara subconsciously averted her eyes to the ground in front of her, shameful for the human's disgraceful recital. She had no idea why the rest of the actors, who seemed far more seasoned in the art of the thespian than he, would tolerate such a weak link in their chain. His skill was clearly not up to par with theirs. Why they were dirtying their own image by muttering his lines to him as he failed to remember them by himself, she had no idea.

She glanced at Anomen. He had his arms crossed sourly and a frown on his face. "And we _paid_ to see this shoddy performance?" she heard him mutter.

The human actor was still mumbling his broken lines on the stage, and his face now red as a ripe tomato. Lunisia muttered something else to him, but he didn't seem to hear her words and was left stranded.

Kirinaldo stepped in with a sigh. "Yes, you are correct Rodrigo," he said sadly. "'Twas I who arranged for thy trip across the great ocean! 'Twas, eh… truly fiendish of me! But tell me… how did you ever come to return so quickly?"

Kanara was now completely lost in the story line, if there even was one. She frowned, now getting irritated as well at the slapdash presentation. The human stood paralyzed once again, another line dropped from his memory. "Um… I forget…" he muttered. "I'm just the understudy…"

The audience began to boo and jeer. Kanara felt pity for the man, although a part of her wished to heckle the troupe right along with them; the play had been so terrible. She leaned back and covered her eyes with her hand as the chorus of chants became louder and louder.

The actors knew when their audience was lost. They quickly retreated off the stage through the back stage doors before the crowd could become too displeased, their faces ripe with disappointment and shame.

"Kanara," Yoshimo said over the taunts. "Are you quite sure you want be working for such a haphazard troupe? I'm sure we could gain much more… respect… finding work for a more… structured organization elsewhere in the city."

The bard opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted as a woman emerged from the backstage. She was a beautiful woman to be sure, but again, Kanara could not identify the exact race that she belonged to. She had some elven features and some human, though her hair was red to match the fiery dress she wore and her eyes were an icy blue. Her skin was pale as snow, so pale that it looked rather unnatural. Judging by her clothes, she seemed to be the head of the Sigil performers.

In a pure voice, she began to speak. "I am sorry, good folk of the audience," she said apologetically. "As you can see, things are not right with our troupe due to circumstances beyond our control. I beg of you, good people, come back another day when we have restored matters… we shall prove to you then that the Sigil Troupe is worthy of your attention and coin, and we shall do so for free, of course."

"Perhaps this is the task that our generous halfling innkeeper so eloquently referred to?" Anomen inquired. Kanara gave a light shrug.

The woman sighed. "Until then, I, Raelis Shai, apologize once again and I bid you a fair evening."

_Raelis Shai._ That was the name that Kanara had been told to seek out for work. Kanara tracked the woman with her eyes as she disappeared off the stage. Her damnable bardic curiosity was kicking in… she felt a strong inclination to go find out what was wrong with their troupe, and discover whether or not it was a problem she'd be willing to fix.

The rest of the audience was exiting the theater, grumbling discontentedly, but Kanara stayed rooted to her seat, staring straight ahead. The rest of the party stood and made several motions to follow the crowd, but remained waiting for Kanara to give her orders. She waited until the theater was empty until finally rising.

"Come, my friends," she said. "The thespians call for our aid." The group followed without question.

She stepped out into the aisle and approached the stage, climbed its steps, and tread across its surface. The party's boots made hollow thumps as their heavy armored figures traveled across the wooden planks, their chainmail rattling as they walked. The props fascinated Aerie on the stage, particularly the harp in the center of the platform. She reached out a delicate hand to touch the strings, plucked one, and smiled as a low hum resonated from the cord.

Kanara motioned for her to follow. "Come, Aerie," she said. "This not our place."

The elf lowered her head and abandoned the instrument.

Kanara walked through the backstage door and entered the private off room that was hidden from public view. This room was bigger than the stage itself. Coat racks full of costumes and clothing lined almost every wall, and the only other walls were covered with mirrors and shelves full of makeup and wigs. This backstage seemed just as cluttered as the rest of the theater, and Kanara had to wonder how they ever found what they needed in such a mess. Several actors were sitting on chairs in front of the mirrors, scraping off the layers of makeup and blush that saturated their faces with sour frowns. The human actor who had bungled his lines sat in the far corner alone, his face forlorn in shame.

Raelis Shai, who was standing in the middle of the room surveying her troupe like a hawk, turned at the party's entrance. She looked surprised and fearful at first, for no doubt she was unaccustomed to highly armed warriors approaching her without invitation. "Hello?" she asked tentatively. "I'm afraid if you are looking for a refund for tonight's performance, I can only tell you to come back when our troupe is not in such disarray."

Kanara smiled amiably. "Actually, we are here to mend the broken bones of your ensemble," she said.

Raelis examined the large group of fighters before her, and relaxed slightly at Kanara's words. "Is it true, child? Have our prayers finally been answered? Fate smiles on us, then, for I can tell by your words and conduct that you yourself have thespian repute, correct?"

"You have an observant eye indeed," Kanara replied. "But I can only wonder what it is that you would have me do. I'm afraid I cannot fill the vacant role in your play satisfactorily, being the female that I am."

Raelis laughed. "No, no, child, I would not ask such a thing. I would request a more hazardous task of you and your sturdy comrades… one that none of us have the constitution to complete by ourselves. By the looks of you, you would fit well into those shoes, so to speak."

Kanara tilted her head. "What is this problem, exactly?"

"It requires a bit of telling to fully explain. One of our actors, Haer'Dalis, has been kidnapped by a wizard native to this city… he has made no effort to negotiate with us. The wizard's greed may have called to him at the sight of Haer'Dalis' beloved gem… something our sparrow would not gladly surrender." She turned away and sighed remorsefully. "So this wizard has stolen both away and there is nothing we can do. I would ask that you return our sparrow and his gem to us both, by whatever means necessary."

"Ah, so you need this heroine to rescue your damsel in distress?" Kanara asked with a playful smirk.

"Those are not the words I would have chosen, for Haer'Dalis is certainly no damsel, but yes, we need our brother back as soon as possible," Raelis replied, slightly annoyed. "Our plays are wrecked without him."

"A wizard who steals bards away from their theaters and shiny gems away from their rightful owners? This is an evil that must be stopped!" Minsc cried.

"Are you certain we have time for this, Kanara? We need to raise gold for the rescue of your friend, and I'm sure coin could be more easily achieved elsewhere," Yoshimo said.

"If it is gold that drives your sword, auburn one, coin is e'er on the tongue," Raelis continued. "I can offer you three hundred gold for our sparrow's return, and should you also retrieve the gem, I can more than double that. Is that sufficient?"

Kanara thought for a moment, and then nodded. "I know very little of the ways of the theater, Raelis Shai, but this is a role that I shall be more than happy to play."

Raelis gave a rare smile. "This is most joyous news! I'm sure you shall succeed in your task. Here, let me tell you all I know of this wizard. His name is Mekrath, I believe… I know that is lair can be accessed through the city's sewers, though where exactly it lies is a mystery."

"Then we shall soil our boots in the filth of the sewers," Anomen said dryly. "For your greater good, of course, madam."

Raelis ignored Anomen's comment. "Fly, then… fetch our brother away from his captor however you might, and return to us soon. My prayers go with you, my good woman."

Kanara bowed graciously and beamed. With several quick good-natured nods towards the rest of the troupe (who, she noticed, had been ever-so-discreetly eavesdropping on their conversation), Kanara turned on her heel and led her party back up the stairs, out of the Five Flagons Inn, and back into the open airs of Athkatla.

* * *

"Ah, the Temple District, my home of choice," Anomen muttered dreamily to himself as Kanara's party entered the clean, riverside roads of the posh Temple District. The streets of this district were lined with fountains and salty streams of ocean water that filtered through into the ocean and gleamed in the sunlight, and on nearly every corner of the roads sat a religious temple devoted to each of the most popular deities. They were currently on the southern side, so that gigantic Temple of the Most Radiant Heart was currently the dominant building in view.

"Do you spend much time here, Anomen?" Aerie asked.

"I spent nearly my whole childhood in that building," he replied, pointing to the Radiant Heart temple. "It is where I would go to train and to… get away from my father when he was in a sour mood or drunk. It served as a practical second-home for me, and now that I am a grown man, it still holds a special place in my heart as I train to become a paladin of the Order."

"It s-sounds as though you've had a rough childhood," Aerie commented. "As have I."

"Aye, it has been rough. But I got through it. And so did you, judging by the way you're here with us now. All I aspire to now is becoming what I was meant to be, and Kanara is helping me immensely by letting me come along on her adventures."

Kanara snorted softly from ahead. "Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that, Anomen. If you end up with an arrow through your chest, or worse, I doubt your company with me would help you become a paladin."

"You speak the truth, I suppose," Anomen admitted wearily. "But, until that day, know that I am grateful for your companionship."

The group passed the front doors to the Order of the Most Radiant Heart building, and Kanara noticed that Anomen straightened his back and held his head high as they came in view of the guards standing in front of the entrance, as if boasting his new standing in their group to the people of the Heart. Kanara smiled to herself and shook her head slightly. Anomen was perhaps rather supercilious, but he had a noble charm about him nonetheless… and Kanara like it.

"So Anomen, you've lead us this far," Kanara said. "Where are these sewers that Raelis mentioned? You said there were entrances in this district?"

"We are standing atop them now, my Lady," Anomen replied. "The road-side rivers you see around us all drain through the sewers before running into the sea, though it's gotten rather… messy down there over the years. No one's explored the sewers to check for leaks or malfunctions in a very, very long time – there's no telling what we might find if we go down there."

"Evil lurks in every dark stink-hole like sewers, says Boo!" Minsc said as he stroked his hamster gently. "We must venture into the depths and smite the creatures of evil that dance in the shadows, and rescue the stolen bard from the evil bard-napper!"

"That we should, Minsc," said Yoshimo. "That is, if we are careful not to allow this wizard to steal away our own bard first."

"We're all going to be fine," Jaheira put in sternly. "If we do this carefully, our task may not require any bloodshed at all, and we'll have this actor returned to his playhouse by evening, if we hurry. Anomen, lead on to the closest sewer entrance."

"Of course, my Lady. There's one just up the street here, follow me…"

The party followed Anomen up the street past several priests and commoners paying their respects to their deities, and Kanara couldn't help but feel rather out-of-place in the Temple District. Gorion, her foster father, had never strictly enforced faith in one god, but rather taught her about each one and told her that it was up to her to choose a god, if any at all. In her childhood, she had never enjoyed religious lessons and had naturally chosen atheism, but temples still made her rather nervous. In her past, she always tried to avoid asking aid from temples, for a part of her feared that they would attempt to take their revenge on her for abandoning her faith. Of course now, she realized that this was ridiculous, but she still steered clear of temples anyway.

She lowered her head as they passed the temple of Talos, and subtly tried to hide behind Anomen's large, armored frame as the cleric guards in front watched their group. Luckily, neither Anomen nor the guards seemed to notice.

"There," she heard Anomen say, and he pointed to a metal rusted grate in the middle of their path. The party approached warily almost as if expecting a wild sewer creature to suddenly burst through the opening. When nothing of the sort happened, Anomen bent over and heaved the tarnished grate open with a loud creak.

A foul-smelling wind of old air exploded through the grate and hit the party like a tidal wave the moment the sewer entrance was opened, and the warriors were forced to take several steps backwards.

"A den of stinking evil!" Minsc cried. "Cover your nose, Boo! We will leave no crevice untouched!" The ranger began to march towards the grate, but Anomen held up a hand to stop him.

"Hold, eager Minsc, I shall descend first," Anomen said gallantly. "I'll make sure the way is clear."

Minsc did not protest and gave a small shrug as Anomen looked down into the shadows of the sewers. He took a hushed deep breath as though preparing to plunge into icy water, and began to climb down the rusted metal bars that lead into the cesspool. The ladder creaked as he steadily slid down the ladder, and as he finally reached the bottom, the group heard a loud _squish_ as he landed on the mushy sewer floor.

"Everything alright, Anomen?" Jaheira called.

"Oh, yes, perfect," came his mordant reply. "The way looks safe enough, my Lady."

Kanara was the next to descend. She carefully climbed into the opening and held onto the tarnished bars, though they gave far less ominous creaking noises than they had from Anomen's climb. Kanara's light leather armor and meager frame was much more agreeable with the ladder than Anomen's heavy metal armor and muscular body. She tried her best not to breathe, for every time she inhaled it was like trying to breathe underwater; the air was so thick.

At the bottom of the ladder, she released her handholds and hopped off into the dim beyond, only to be rewarded with landing in a pool of muck that went up to her waist. She gave a stifled cry of surprise as a chill ran through her body.

"Are you alright, my Lady?" Anomen asked hastily, wading through the viscous sludge that only came up to his thighs.

"Yes, I think so," she said quickly, suppressing a wince. She tried to get out of the way of the ladder to make room for the rest of the group, but found that the slime was so thick and deep that she couldn't walk. It was like trying to walk through a waist-high pool of very glutinous syrup.

"Here, let me help," Anomen said, offering her his hand. "The slush is thinner up ahead."

Kanara gladly took his hand and he pulled her through the muck several paces down the dim tunnel, and finally the fluid level receded until it was only halfway up her shins. Once free of the sludge, she turned around to watch over the entrances of the rest of her party.

Minsc came down next, then Yoshimo, Aerie, and Jaheira, but the druid refused any sort of aid in getting through the muck. She would always be independent, even if something were extremely difficult for her. With great effort, Jaheira managed to get herself through to the shallow section of the tunnel and stood next to Kanara and the rest of the group as they contemplated their course.

"Just how big are these sewers, Anomen?" Aerie asked, cautiously looking left and right.

"I'm not quite sure, actually. They could be bigger than the Temple District itself, for all I know. How we will find an entrance to the wizard's secret lair through all of these passages, I have no idea."

"A watchful eye and stealthy feet, that's how," Kanara answered. "There most certainly are… _things _down here. I can hear them, sloshing through the mud and sludge in the passages ahead. Let's just hope they can't hear us."

The elf snapped her fingers and a small yellow flame ignited in her hand, illuminating the once overpowering cloak of darkness. Light danced along the walls revealing layers upon layers of green mold and bat guano packed onto the bulkheads, and only then could they see that the mire that had just waded through was a viscous pool of green algae and grime. Aerie whimpered softly, and Kanara put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Aerie," she whispered reassuringly, squeezing the elf's arm. "It's just a little dirt. Don't look at it. Here, I'll walk right next to you, would you like that?"

Aerie nodded. She took another step closer to the bard, keeping a tight grip on her wooden staff with sweaty hands. Kanara smiled, thinking of Imoen once again. Whenever she and Imoen happened to go dungeon crawling, they were near inseparable. In fact, they used to be near inseparable all of the time. Aerie reminded Kanara so much the girl, although Imoen was not quite as skittish as Aerie was. Despite Aerie's meager experience, she warmed Kanara's heart with fond memories.

With that, the group picked a passage to their left and began to slink through the squishy muck, carefully stepping over the pipes that jutted from the floor. Aerie stayed close to Kanara the whole time, and her blue eyes were constantly jumping from one shadow to the next, incantations for spells that she could cast on a whim circling through her head. Minsc and Anomen had their weapons drawn and Yoshimo had his bowstring loaded in preparation for anything.

They traveled through the sewers for another ten minutes or so, guided by Kanara's flame of light. After a few minutes, Kanara began tapping on the walls softly as they passed, checking for any signs of a fake wall that might lead to the wizard's secret hideout while Anomen, determined to make himself useful, covered the opposite wall by doing the same. They wove their way through the tangle of passages without meeting anyone, neither friendly nor hostile. Kanara could always hear the light _pitter-patter_ of feet puttering off in the distance, but the sound never seemed to get closer or farther away; it was a constant drone.

Suddenly, a long, cat-like shriek shattered the muffled silence, causing the whole group to jump and Aerie quickly grabbed a hold onto Kanara's arm. It sounded as though it was quite near, but even Kanara's elven eyes could not reveal the source in the passages ahead or behind. The party froze, straining their ears and not daring to move a muscle, until the noise fizzled and faded away into the normal eerie quiet.

"What was that?" Aerie whispered fearfully.

"I'm not sure; it sounded like a wild tiger," Anomen answered.

"Oh, please Kanara, can we get out of here?" Aerie pleaded. "It's bad enough down here in this filth without wild tigers attacking us –"

Jaheira hushed her quickly. "It wasn't a tiger, Anomen," she corrected. "That was a Rakshasa, a half-human-half-tiger. I've had the misfortune of crossing paths with one in the past, and I know they're dangerous. Best we get away from here as fast as we can, for it can probably smell our presence."

"Can't we just go back to the surface?" Aerie asked again, her lips quivering. "There must be some safer way to find this wizard hideout."

"Come now, Aerie," Kanara said calmly. "You can do this. You're safe with us, remember? Just sing a song or hum a tune as you walk, and soon you'll forget your fears."

Aerie shook her head. "But I can't –"

"Sure you can," Kanara said. "Anyone can sing. Here now, I'll start you off." Kanara picked out a song in her head. "I'm sure you know the words to this one," she added with a smile.

The bard cleared her throat and began to sing softly, her notes wonderfully in-tune and voice clear.

"'_Twas the night of Ages, of grandeur, of splendor,_

_When the rivers stood still and the forests paid heed,_

_When every peasant, king and vendor_

_Held still and listened to the Creed…"_

Aerie grinned at the words of the age-old elven folksong, one that she had heard since her childhood and still remembered fondly. The party began to walk down the passages again, their fears lifted with the sound of Kanara's soothing voice. Much to even her own surprise, Aerie began to sing along.

"_Ser'fey Ge' vyrlus, Kasïd iglïth 'sez,_

_So whispered the wind, so murmured the trees,_

_So chattered the creatures, so said the Elves_

_O'er the mountains, many ears to please…_

_For Suldanesselar arises…"_

The two elves kept their voices down so not to draw any unwanted attention to themselves from the other residents of the tunnels, but they sang loud enough for their companions to hear and bring a smile to each of their faces. Anomen watched Kanara out of the corner of his eye as they walked, humbled once again by her delicate beauty and the clarity of her voice. He had never heard this particular song before, but he enjoyed listening to her sing it and watching her mouth form the words. She had incredibly straight teeth and full lips, a clearly defined chin and a smooth jaw line that begged to be traced with two gentle fingers. Her eyes were large and boasted a crystalline glacial blue, framed by long eyelashes at the batted innocently when she blinked. She didn't look very dangerous, he realized – but he also knew looks could be deceiving. He had seen her fight and knew not to cross her.

The cleric averted his attention to the wall on his left once again, and he listened to the echo that came from his tapping. They just sounded like solid bangs. He walked a few more paces and tapped again. Still just solid bangs.

He sighed, frustrated. They might spend the whole afternoon in these foul sewers at this rate, and still not find this wizard's lair. Who knows – it may not even exist. Which would mean they were searching for nothing. Anomen didn't join this group to do nothing; he joined to fight undead and other evil creatures that plague Amn, and bask in the glory resulting from it.

His father always told him he'd never amount to anything. Maybe he was right. Here he was: tromping through ankle-deep muck in a large set of dank sewers, looking for a secret wizard stronghold that may not even exist, rescuing a bard who probably is nothing more than a trouble-making stage rogue, in the companionship of a party who hardly appreciates his presence, and finally, at arms-length away from a beautiful elven girl without the guts to initiate any sort of courtship practices. _By Helm, what am I doing down here?_

Anomen wondered how much respect he would earn by telling the Watchers of Helm that he spent his entire afternoon hiking through the sewers underneath the temple searching for an invisible wizard hideout. They'd simply laugh, probably. Perhaps this wild goose hunt is a mistake. Perhaps exploring these sewers is a mistake. Perhaps joining Kanara's party was a mistake…

_Thump._

Anomen stopped. He tapped again. The wall sounded… hollow.

"My Lady!" he cried, his dismal thoughts dissipating. "I've found something!"

Kanara stopped singing her song and quickly jogged over to Anomen's position. She examined the wall carefully, and listened to Anomen tap on it once again. "Yes, it does sound rather… unfilled," she said, running her fingers along the pipes and grooves in the cold metal. "But I see no way to open it."

"If you'll allow me," Yoshimo said as he approached the wall. He stared at the wall for a moment, his keen eyes narrowed, and finally reached a hand up to a rusty pipe that had been bent out of shape and twisted it a half-turn clockwise. There was a low rumble as some gears shifted inside the wall, and slowly, the entire panel slid to the side to grant them passage into the hallways beyond.

"Minsc and Boo knew evil could not hide forever!" Minsc said, beaming with the outcome. "Come, I will lead us into the battle for this bard's freedom, and for the destruction of this evil wizard!" Minsc charged into the passage first, and the rest of the group was forced to jog to catch up with him.

This new tunnel was infinitely cleaner than the previous one, and was better lit, as well. Kanara extinguished her now unneeded hand-fire and unsheathed her swords in the flame's stead, for she could hear the incoherent chatter of mephits not too much further down the passage. She wasn't surprised. Mephits were a common choice of guards for wizards because they were easy to summon in large groups. Luckily, they were also easy to kill… in reasonable numbers.

They ascended a steep spiraling staircase made of beautifully engraved stone, and emerged in a well-kept living room. A fireplace sat in the far corner, embers glowing like shining gold, and a sofa was placed in good view of the would-be fire. Kanara spotted a book lying upon the sofa's cushion seat, open on its spine exposing its inked paper treasures to the ceiling. There were three doorways leading away from this room, and Kanara knew not which doorway to take that might lead them to their wizard, but she knew they were at least getting closer… for this room smelled strongly of human.

The chatter of the mephits grew louder as the creatures hidden in the hallways beyond became aware of the intrusion. Within moments, the impish creatures had appeared through all three of the doors, and were screeching in anger at the sight of Kanara's party. The group drew their weapons in anticipation of a fight.

Minsc was the first to make contact. The boldest of the mephits charged into the group's front line (which was composed of the gigantic ranger alone) and tried to claw the fighter's chest. The creature was too slow. Minsc swung his massive greatsword and it collided with the mephit in a small explosion of red blood and gray skin, a sickening squelching noise emanating from the impact.

The rest of the mephits hesitated at the gruesome sight. Kanara quickly took this time to count them, and found that there were three mephits not including the shattered remains of one on the floor. She adjusted her grip on her two swords and charged ahead at Minsc's side, engaging the next imp on the right while Minsc handled the left. Though she had seen many mephits before, every time she got close to one she was shocked by their repulsive appearance. The creatures had leathery wings with a wingspan approximately equal to the length of her swords, and these wings were often tattered and scabbed from fights and misuse. Their bodies were small and reptilian, and the current mephit in front of her was covered in large, infected, oozing cuts and welts. Their four appendages were clawed and dirty and many of these claws had been blanched a deep red from the blood of the creature's previous foes. But none of this even compared to the head. The mephit's head was wrinkled and cragged, their mouths were full of sharp, uneven teeth and had spittle dripping from its jaws, and many of the scales covering its head had been broken and were now secreting nasty yellow-green discharge. It was impossible to feel any remorse when striking down these nauseating creatures.

Kanara gave her first swing with all of her might, catching the still shocked mephit off guard. One of her swords hit the creature's shoulder, shattered the protective scales, and severed its arm with a loud crunch. The mephit screamed in pain and fell to the floor, unable to keep beating its gristly wings. It sat on the floor for a moment, stunned, and then finally got a hold of itself again and began to claw at Kanara's legs with its one remaining arm. She stepped out of the way and swiftly stabbed the monster with a hard, downward thrust. The sword impaled its torso and it stopped moving.

Kanara yanked her sword out of the creature's corpse and looked up to see an arrow pierce the body of another imp. The arrow was not enough to kill the beast, but it was more than enough to cripple it and cause a waterfall of blood stream from the wound. She turned around to see Yoshimo loading another arrow into his bowstring. Anomen ran forward the finish the crippled mephit off, his gleaming mace raised above his head and shimmering armor spotless as ever. It was about time that he dirtied that thing.

By this time, Minsc had landed his second kill and had announced it with a deafening roar of triumph. He pounded his chest with his fists like an exultant gorilla, a huge smile upon his face. "And so evil finally gets taste of our swift justice!" he cried happily. "Boo is quivering in satisfaction!"

Anomen laughed. "I agree with you, my large friend!" he said as he shook the ragged remains of his last kill off the blades of his mace. "'Tis good to know that we have not traveled through those sewers for nothing!" he added.

"Keep your voices down," Jaheira hissed. "We've already caused quite enough of a disturbance for this wizard, and if we hope to negotiate this bard's release, we should cause no more."

Kanara silently wandered off through one of the room's doors, ignoring her group's argumentative exchanges. She soon found herself in a small library that only had three bookshelves and a desk in the middle of the room, and was instantly intrigued. Perhaps it was her barding nature or perhaps it was because of her childhood in Candlekeep, but she had always loved libraries. In her childhood, she would often sneak into the library at night when all the monks had gone to sleep and spend hours thumbing through the books and tomes looking for exciting tales of adventure. The next day, she would regale Imoen with tales from the books and they would pretend to be the heroes in those stories, marching about the grounds in search of monsters to fight, and found what they wanted by seeing a manticore in the barn cat or a gnoll in the shepherd dog. The animals never liked Kanara or Imoen much after that.

The elf ran her fingers over the spines of the dusty books as she read their titles. _"Wise Contingency, Eyes of the Clairvoyant…"_ she murmured the names out loud to herself. Nothing caught her eye. All of these books told how to more finely tune one's spellcasting abilities.

She looked on the shelf behind her, scanning the monotonous titles until she found a book that looked interesting. _"Concord of the Drow" _she read the title, looking over the large, leather-bound book. She blew a layer of black dust off of it's top, and then slipped it into her pack.

She was about to continue her search of the bookshelves when she heard her party calling her name.

"Kanara?" she heard Anomen say. Footsteps came close to the library door. "Kanara, where did you –" he stopped after poking his head through the doorframe and spotting Kanara in the midst of the piles of books and papers. His face lifted in a smile. "There you are," he said. "Thought we'd lost you already."

She half-smiled, shrugging slightly. "Well, here I am."

He looked left and right from one wall to the opposite of small room. "What are you doing in here?" he asked as he took several more steps closer to the bard.

"Wondering what kind of books a powerful wizard keeps at his fingertips," she replied, gesturing towards the shelf behind her. "Spellcasting, mostly. Not very interesting."

"Oh? But you can sling some of your own spells yourself, can't you, my Lady? Perhaps some of these books would be valuable to you," Anomen said.

Kanara shook her head. "I doubt it. I use a different sort of magery, one that doesn't come from books and hours of studying. I was born with my powers, I suppose… I can shape energy as I wish without any sort of previous preparation."

Anomen tilted his head. "That sounds far more practical than a wizard's tedious magics."

Kanara shrugged. "Perhaps, but said magics can only get me so far… .I'm sure my powers will never surpass those of a well-trained wizard. They simply have more discipline."

"Come now, I'm sure you can accomplish anything those bookworms can if you set your mind to it. You're a very determined woman, and it doesn't seem to me that you would ever let anything stand in the way of getting what you want… and deserve," he said, quieting his voice with the last two words. "You are not a woman to be trifled with. I greatly respect that."

Kanara smiled. "I thank you for your kind words, Anomen."

A small chill bristled on Anomen's spine when she said his name.

"But even the bravest of us need protection from time to time," Kanara continued, now gazing dreamily at the wall. "Please, do not think of me as indomitable… my heart may be strong, but I am nothing without my comrades. I have discovered long ago that words serve poorly as a shield, and I have the scars to show it."

"Scars?" Anomen asked, concerned.

"It's a long story… let's just say that I truly realized the importance of companions when I secluded myself from them, and I paid for my mistake with blood. I am not as sturdy as I often think I am, and I need companions to be my walls."

Anomen thought for a long moment, and then finally nodded his head in understanding. "Then I shall build a fortress around you, my Lady," he said with a gracious smile.

She smiled in return.

They gazed at each other for another minute. Anomen felt strangely fulfilled. He now realized that his thoughts of leaving this party for greener pastures was a foolish notion, for the grass that he stood upon now was greener than he had ever seen before. He had simply been blind to it. He was a protector now, a guardian for this beautiful woman, serving as a solid stone wall to keep danger at bay. And that would provide more than enough glory for him.

They were interrupted by the sound of Jaheira's voice from the main entry room, calling both Kanara and Anomen's names. Kanara smiled at the man in front of her one last time.

"Come, Anomen… the rest of the fortress awaits."

**Man, I've been writing a lot lately…**

**So what did you think? Please write me a review!**

_Forbidden Amber_

25


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